Carotid restenosis: should they all be reoperated on?

Restenosis of carotid arteries after endarterectomy is a rare complication; in our series 1.2% (19 patients - 20 recurrences out of 1658 operations - Dec. 1985). It usually occurs early, i.e. in the first months (12 cases) with features of myointimal hyperplasia. Peroperative angiography should be routinely performed to rule out technical errors that might be mistaken for restenosis. At the time of reoperation, 12 patients were symptomatic. The operation consisted of 6 second endarterectomies, 13 saphenous vein grafts and 1 PTFE graft. The postoperative period was uneventful in 14 cases, but in the remaining patients there were 2 transient ischemic attacks, 2 monoplegias and 1 dysphasia (with immediate thrombosis of the bypass in 3 cases). Five patients were lost at follow-up. In the remaining 14 patients, the follow-up period varied between 3 and 84 months (mean: 20 months). Presently 11 carotid arteries are patent. In one case involving a venous patch, the artery is dilated. All 12 of these patients are asymptomatic. One thrombosed bypass is also asymptomatic. The two monoplegias occurred in patients whose bypasses occluded immediately. The recurrence rate varied according to the imaging technique. i.e. pulsed Doppler, B-mode scanning or angiography, used to detect restenosis. Restenosis usually remains asymptomatic even in patients with hemodynamically significant lesions. Restenosis due to myointimal hyperplasia does not carry the risk of embolism and atheromatous stenosis does not have the same prognosis. In our experience immediate and long term results of red are not as good the first endarterectomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)