Elliptical transection for eversion endarterectomy enables efficient external carotid artery desobliteration.

Background: Eversion endarterectomy (EEA) of the internal carotid artery requires less distal surgical exposure than conventional patch reconstruction endarterectomy. However, the technical success after EEA was tremendously contradictive especially with respect to the external carotid artery (ECA) patency rate. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of elliptical EEA on the quality and outcome of external carotid artery desobliteration.

Methods: Clinical outcome and carotid disease progression at one year were evaluated in thirty patients receiving EEA through short transverse skin incision either in general anesthesia (GA, 22 patients) or locoregional anesthesia (LRA, 8 patients).

Results: One patient (GA group) required early revision for bleeding. There was no postoperative stroke, nerve damage or death. At one year, ipsilateral systolic peak velocity (SPV) measurements showed no disease progression in the internal (75.30±19.31; 62.88±28.51 cm/s) or in the external carotid artery (118.92±58.30; 79.00±27.15 cm/s, GA; RLA, respectively). The incidence of ipsilateral ECA stenosis >50% decreased from 64% preoperatively to 16 % at one year (P<0.001). On the contralateral side, incidence of ECA stenosis >50% increased from 27% preoperatively to 56% after one year (p=0.018). On the ipsilateral side, all patients in the RLA group had less than 50% stenosis of ECA at one year after the operation (P=0.021 vs. pre-OP), while in the GA group four patients developed 50-74% stenosis and one patient >75% stenosis of ECA (P<0.001 vs. pre-OP). These results were not significantly different between the two groups and demonstrated a total of 96.7% ECA patency at one year.

Conclusions: Elliptical transsection for EEA enables outstanding ECA revascularization with good patency at one year. Type of anesthesia does not affect the quality of the eversion technique.