Usefulness of transcranial color Doppler ultrasonography in aortic arch surgery

Hypothermia in combination with selective cerebral perfusion is a well-documented technique for cerebral protection during aortic arch surgery. However, such complex surgery is still accompanied by a considerable incidence of neurological events.

This study describes the advantages of transcranial color Doppler ultrasound (TCDU) as a noninvasive real-time method for intraoperative monitoring of cerebral blood flow.

Between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011, 29 consecutive patients underwent transcranial echo color Doppler (TCDU) monitoring during hypothermic circulatory arrest.

TCDU was easily applied and provided continuous information on cerebral perfusion in all patients studied. Early detection of perfusion abnormalities during selective cerebral perfusion guided surgeon and anesthesiologist to research for causes and correct them, avoiding severe neurological consequences. Moreover, transcranial echo color Doppler allowed us to optimize anterograde and retrograde cerebral perfusion rate, avoiding hyper-perfusion or hypo-perfusion phenomena during cardiac arrest.