Ultrasonic Doppler studies after superficial temporal-middle cerebral artery anastomosis

The ultrasonic Doppler technique was applied to evaluate the effect of STA-MCA anastomosis. Not only the STA itself, but also ophthalmic and major aortocranial arteries were recorded by the Doppler technique in 12 patients who had undergone STA-MCA anastomosis for internal carotid artery occlusion or stenosis. The examination was performed before, and within a month after the operation. The blood flow pattern of the STA, which had had an external carotid flow pattern, was altered to an internal carotid flow pattern by the STA-MCA bypass operation. The findings of Doppler sonograms of the STA were exactly consistent with post-operative angiograms and precisely represented the bypass patency. Among 7 patients with reverse flow direction in the ophthalmic artery before the operation, the reverse flow had decreased in 5 patients post-operatively. But no remarkable change in the ophthalmic artery was detected in the remaining 2 patients. The blood flow velocity patterns of major aortocranial arteries showed no change post-operatively.