Strategy and effect of repeat bypass surgery for anterior/posterior circulation in refractory moyamoya disease

In this study the authors aimed to describe clinical features, surgical techniques, and long-term outcomes of repeat bypass surgery required for a certain subset of patients with moyamoya disease.

The authors retrospectively reviewed a total of 22 repeat bypass surgeries for 20 patients (age range 1-69 years) performed during the last 20 years at their institutions. The patients were classified into 2 groups. Group A included 10 patients who underwent repeat bypass surgery for anterior circulation due to insufficient revascularization on the ipsilateral side. Group B included 10 patients who underwent repeat bypass surgery for posterior circulation due to the involvement of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) after successful initial surgery for anterior circulation.

Preoperative symptoms included headache in 3 patients, transient ischemic attack in 10, cerebral infarction in 3, and intracranial hemorrhage in 4 patients. Intervals between the initial bypass surgery and repeat bypass surgery were 0.3-30 years (median 3 years). In group A, superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (MCA) anastomosis and indirect bypass were performed on 7 hemispheres. Only indirect bypass was performed on 3 hemispheres because of the lack of suitable donor or recipient arteries. In group B, occipital artery (OA) to PCA anastomosis and indirect bypass were conducted on 4 hemispheres, and OA-MCA anastomosis and indirect bypass on 1 hemisphere. Only indirect bypass was conducted on 7 hemispheres because of the lack of suitable recipient arteries. All 22 repeat bypass surgeries were successfully conducted. During follow-up periods (median 4 years), none of the patients suffered repeat stroke except 1 patient who died of recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage 3 years after repeat bypass surgery for anterior circulation.

Repeat bypass surgery was feasible and effective to reduce further incidence of headache attack, transient ischemic attack, and ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke in moyamoya disease patients. Through precise radiological analysis, surgical procedures should be planned to yield maximal therapeutic effects.