EC-IC Bypass; Our Experience of Cerebral Revascularization with Intraoperative Dual-Image Video Angiography (Diva)

Extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) arterial bypass has been used in the treatment of various cerebrovascular ischemic disease due to atherosclerosis or Moyamoya disease, skull base tumors encasing large IC artery or complex IC aneurysms.

The aim is to analyze surgical technique (EC-IC bypass) and its outcome with intraoperative use of dual image video angiography (DIVA) and Doppler ultrasound.

We studied in this article a series of 23 patients operated in Banbuntane Hotokukai Hospital, Fujita Health University, for which a superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis was done for steno-occlusive disease, giant IC aneurysm or Moyamoya disease. The study was conducted between 2018 and 2020. We used dual-image video angiography (DIVA) and Doppler ultrasound to assess the luminal patency of anastomosis during the procedure.

In this study, three patients presented with Moyamoya disease, 4 had aneurysm, whereas 16 patients presented with the vascular steno-occlusive disease. The patients were divided into three categories (steno-occlusive disease, Moyamoya, and flow replacement for giant aneurysm). Dual image video angiography, along with intraoperative Doppler, helped us in the assessment of luminal patency of the anastomosis.

Hemodynamic recovery after cerebrovascular bypass brings about a better outcome in ischemic stroke. The result of surgery improves with proper selection of patients with hemodynamic impairment (in Stage 2). With various modalities such as intraoperative Doppler, DIVA (Dual-image Video Angiography) and improved surgical techniques may aid in the reduction of complications and improve clinical outcome.