Neurocognitive changes after eversion carotid endarterectomy under local anesthesia

The effects of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on cognitive function have yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of our study was to administer a battery of cognitive tests to identify any cognitive changes occurring in a consecutive series of patients who underwent CEA using the eversion technique under local anesthesia.

This prospective study was designed to analyze a consecutive series of patients undergoing eversion CEA under local anesthesia for significant carotid stenosis at our vascular surgery unit over a period of 6 months. Patients underwent tests to rule-out those who already had cognitive impairments or states of depression/anxiety capable of interfering with cognitive testing outcomes. Patients then completed a battery of 10 neurocognitive tests preoperatively and again 30 days and 4 months after surgery to assess the functions of both cerebral hemispheres as thoroughly as possible.

Of the 48 patients initially considered for our study, 39 completed the follow-up. They were 71.4 ± 8.2 (mean ± SD) years of age; 30 were men and 9 were women. Six were symptomatic for carotid stenosis and 33 were asymptomatic. All patients were examined by a neurologist and underwent pre- and postoperative nuclear MRI or CT scan of the brain to identify any cerebral ischemia potentially correlated with the surgical procedure. In all cases, the cognitive test findings tended to improve postoperatively; this improvement was statistically significant in 7 tests. Post-hoc analysis confirmed an improvement between the pre- and postoperative test results. Among the different variables considered, only age <75 years seems to have influenced cognitive improvement.

The effects on cognitive function of carotid stenosis, particularly CEA, is still a much debated issue. The data reported in the literature vary considerably, preventing any final conclusions from being drawn. The mechanisms capable of inducing changes in cognitive status after CEA have yet to be precisely clarified. In our study, a suitable battery of tests were used to analyze the trend of cognitive function correlating with eversion CEA under local anesthesia. Our results demonstrate substantially improved cognitive function after CEA, which was statistically significant in 7 of 10 tests. We surmise that the CEA procedure, per se, can help to protect patients against cognitive deterioration, especially in those <75 years of age.