A Specialized device designed for eversion carotid endarterectomy

Carotid endarterectomy (CEAE) is currently considered to be one of the most efficient methods of treatment for chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency and prevention of recurrent acute impairments of cerebral blood supply. Methodically, the manipulation concerned is in the majority of cases carried out by one of two most commonly employed techniques, i. e., classical CEAE from the longitudinal arteriotomy with plasty with a synthetic patch, and the so-called eversion CEAE implying removal of an atherosclerotic plaque (ASP) by means of eversion of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Many Russian and foreign authors point out indisputable advantages of eversion CEAE, consisting in a shorter duration of ICA clamping, no need to use synthetic materials, preservation of the anatomical geometry of the bifurcation of the common carotid artery (CCA), a lower incidence rate of restenoses in the remote period. Along with it, eversion CEAE also possesses certain disadvantages consisting in namely complicated revision of the distal intima of the ICA (the zone wherein the ASP is tapering), the necessity of traction by the ASP, which may might lead to its premature detachment, impossibility of ICA eversion distal to the endarterectomy zone and repeat eversion of the already endarterectomised portion of the ICA. Hence, eversion carotid endarterectomy still remains the area of skilled and experienced vascular surgeons, thus giving prerequisites for further levelling its technical disadvantages shortcomings, which was the objective of the present study. The authors describe herein a new specially designed surgical device intended to facilitate the operation of eversion carotid endarterectomy, as well as the technique of application thereof. Based on a comparative example comprising a total of eighty-six eversion carotid endarterectomic procedures performed both with and without the new device, we demonstrated efficiency of using the proposed technique.