[Surgical procedures on the external carotid artery]

A clinical series of five patients operated on for symptomatic cerebral blood flow deterioration is discussed. They presented with either hemispheral symptoms (hemiparesis, amaurosis fugax) or signs of diffuse cerebral hypoxia. In the presence of unilateral or bilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion a critical stenosis of the external carotid artery (ECA) was confirmed either by duplex ultrasound or angiography. In all these cases ECA was reconstructed by means of common vascular surgical techniques. The use of intraluminal (i.l.) shunt was mandatory. There were neither early nor late deaths in this group. In one patient a transient stroke occurred three days following standard carotid endarterectomy performed after ECA surgery on the contralateral side. After the mean follow-up of 46 months all patients remain neurologically asymptomatic. In selected cases the ECA reconstruction offers an effective and beneficial tool for surgical management of critical cerebral perfusion impairment.