Long-term clinical and duplex follow-up after proximal vertebral artery reconstruction

From 1977 to 1989, 28 patients, 18 men and 10 women, underwent 29 proximal vertebral artery reconstructions. Indications were vertebrobasilar insufficiency in 17 patients and TIA or stroke in 6. Five were asymptomatic. Procedures performed were endarterectomy in 20, reimplantation in 5, venous bypass in 3, and decompression in 1 case. Concomitant procedures were coronary artery bypass grafting (6) and carotid, subclavian, or innominate artery revascularization (14). There was no operative mortality. There were 3 early reoperations for occlusion, bleeding, and lymph fistula, respectively. Except for 1 foreign patient recent clinical follow-up was complete. Mean follow-up was 85.6 months (range 17-146). During follow-up 10 patients died. Causes were mainly cardiac (3), carcinoma (3), and stroke (2). Seventeen patients were alive, 13 had no cerebrovascular symptoms, 2 sustained a hemispherical stroke, 1 was only slightly improved, and 1 had a drop attack 131 months after operation. Five and ten-year actuarial survival rates were 85% and 51% respectively. Follow-up with duplex scan was available in 26 patients and was complete in 24. Mean duplex follow-up was 78.6 months (range 3-146). Significant abnormalities were noted in 6 but with symptoms in only 1 patient. Mean time to restenosis was 77.3 months. Late angiographic control in 10 patients correlated well with duplex findings. Proximal vertebral artery reconstruction yields good clinical long-term results, and duplex scan is a useful tool in the follow-up of these patients.