Microsurgical treatment of carotid artery stenosis combined with tortuosity:a series of nine cases
Objective To explore the microsurgical treatment strategies for patients with carotid artery stenosis complicated by tortuosity.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 9 patients with carotid artery stenosis and tortuosity who underwent microsurgical treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery,the Second People's Hospital of Liaocheng,from June 2019 to August 2023.Patient demographics and clinical data,including sex,age,initial admission diagnosis,clinical symptoms,risk factors for carotid artery stenosis(hypertension,diabetes,hyperlipidemia,smoking,drinking),pre-operative and contralateral vascular imaging were collected.According to the type of vascular tortuosity,three surgical methods were employed:(1)For"C"-shaped tortuosity of the internal carotid artery(ICA),the ICA was divided obliquely at the carotid bifurcation,and eversion carotid endarterectomy was performed.Then ICA was opened longitudinally along its medial side,the common carotid artery(CCA)was extended proximally along its lateral border.The ICA was end-to-side anastomosis anastomosed to the CCA.(2)For coiling of the ICA,the ICA was divided obliquely at the carotid bifurcation and eversion carotid endarterectomy was completed.The redundant segment of the ICA origin was resected,and an end-to-side anastomosis between the ICA and CCA was performed.(3)For cases of kinking of both the ICA and external carotid artery(ECA),or kinking of the CCA,the technique was performed by transection of the CCA,and then eversion carotid endarterectomy was performed,and part of the CCA was resected.After downward mobilization of the ICA and ECA,an end-to-end anastomosis of the CCA was carried out.Postoperatively,all patients underwent neck CT angiography(CTA)and duplex ultrasound examination within 1-3d to assess carotid patency,tortuosity improvement,and hemodynamic changes.Surgical success was defined as residual stenosis ≤30%,improved tortuosity,and no occurrence of stroke within 1-3d after surgery.Postoperative complications,including stroke,myocardial infarction,hoarseness,surgical site bleeding,swelling,and poor wound healing,were also observed.Follow-up carotid ultrasound was performed at 1,6,and 12 months to monitor for restenosis(peak systolic velocity>220 cm/s or>70%reduction in vessel diameter).Results Among the 9 patients,4 were males and 5 were females;the age ranged from 61 to 74 years,with an average of(67±4)years.3 cases had asymptomatic severe stenosis,3 cases had symptomatic moderate stenosis,and 3 cases had symptomatic severe stenosis.There were 9 cases of previous hypertension,5 cases of diabetes,6 cases of hyperlipidemia,4 cases of coronary heart disease,5 cases of smoking,and 4 cases of drinking.There were 5 cases of ICA"C"-shaped tortuosity,2 cases of coiling of the ICA,1 case of both ICA and ECA tortuosity,and 1 case CCA tortuosity.All 9 patients successfully underwent surgery.Postoperative neck CTA within 1-3 d demonstrated patency of the operated carotid artery and improvement in vascular tortuosity in all cases,with duplex ultrasound showing favorable hemodynamic status.No postoperative complications were observed.Follow-up at 1,6,and 12 months revealed no restenosis in any of the patients.Conclusions Microsurgical surgery is an effective method for treating carotid artery stenosis complicated by tortuosity.Detailed preoperative evaluation and selection of appropriate surgical techniques are essential.This study is a single-center study with a small sample size,and the findings require further validation through multi-center,large-scale research.