The impact of vein patch angioplasty on long-term surgical outcome after carotid endarterectomy. a prospective follow-up study with serial duplex scanning
Ten Holter, J.B.; Ackerstaff, R.G.; Thoe Schwartzenberg, G.W.; Eikelboom, B.C.; Vermeulen, F.E.; Van den Berg, E.C.
Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 31(1): 58-65
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9509 PMID: 2182643 Document Number: 348769
In 304 patients the natural history of 339 endarterectomized and 269 nonoperated internal carotid arteries was examined by means of ultrasonic Duplex scanning over a period of 60 months. In 172 cases the operated artery was closed primarily and venous patching was performed in 167 endarterectomies. By life-table analysis the rate of significant recurrent stenosis (more than 50% diameter reduction) during the first year was respectively 3.4% for male and 4.3% for female patched arteries. For primarily closed vessels these numbers were respectively 14.5% for male and 24.4% for female arteries. More than 1 year after surgery, no significant difference between the 4 groups was demonstrated and the mean annual rate of recurrent stenosis amounted to 1.7%. For the nonoperated arteries, no significant difference between the first and the remaining 4 years of follow-up could be demonstrated. For these vessels the mean annual rate of progression to stenosis greater than 50% diameter reduction was 11.2%.