Excimer laser-assisted high-flow extracranial/intracranial bypass in patients with symptomatic carotid artery occlusion at high risk of recurrent cerebral ischemia: safety and long-term outcome.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The goal of this study was to determine safety and long-term outcome of the excimer laser-assisted high-flow extracranial/intracranial (EC/IC) bypass in patients with symptomatic carotid artery occlusion (CAO) at high risk of recurrent stroke. METHODS In a prospectively collected cohort of 103 patients with symptomatic CAO, 15 patients were selected for excimer laser-assisted EC/IC bypass surgery on the basis of predefined selection criteria: (1) transient or moderately disabling symptoms of focal cerebral ischemia, not symptoms of the retina only; (2) continuing symptoms after documentation of the CAO; (3) evidence of a possible hemodynamic origin of symptoms; and (4) informed consent of the patient. RESULTS Eleven patients underwent the operation without complications One patient had a severely disabling stroke (Rankin grade 4) 11 days after the operation; the bypass was found occluded on reoperation. Two other patients had a moderately disabling stroke (Rankin grade 3) immediately after the operation. One patient died of myocardial infarction 1 day after surgery. Median follow-up time was 27 months. Of the 11 patients who underwent the operation without complications, 1 died 17 months after the operation of a brainstem stroke, and another patient had a new stroke ipsilateral to his CAO 10 months after the operation but without a change in Rankin grade. CONCLUSIONS The excimer laser-assisted high-flow EC/IC bypass operation is a potentially promising procedure in patients with symptomatic CAO and a presumably high risk of recurrent stroke, but the procedure carries a definite risk. This risk is probably related not only to the procedure itself but also to the selection of patients.