SUMMARY Unrecognized or untreated vasospasm in microsurgery can lead to flap hypoperfusion and failure. Numerous strategies have been explored for their efficacy in potentiating vasodilation. We present a case of unrecognized vasospasm leading to flap failure followed by a second free flap reconstruction in which severe vasospasm was treated with systemic nicardipine used as an adjunct to other...

OBJECT The strategy to treat asymptomatic angiographic vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is controversial. In this study we review our consecutive vasospasm series and discuss an adequate treatment strategy for asymptomatic vasospasm. METHODS From January 2007 to December 2012 we treated 281 aneurysmal SAH cases, with postoperative angiography performed 9 ± 2 days after the on...

The neurologic morbidity of delayed ischemic deficits from vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) continues to be the most debilitating complication from this devastating illness. Neurologic critical care is focused on recognition and treatment of these secondary insults but often the treatment is withheld until an irreversible deficit becomes manifest. Continuous EEG (cEE...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Chronic cerebral arterial vasospasm is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Not all cases of SAH, however, develop chronic vasospasm. Inflammation, specifically leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions, appears to be critical in vasospasm development. Haptoglobin (Hp) is a serum protein that limits the extent of infla...

Animal models have been developed to simulate angiographic vasospasm secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and to test pharmacologic treatments. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of pharmacologic treatments that have been tested in humans and in preclinical studies to determine if animal models inform results reported in humans. A systematic review and meta-analysis of SAH studies was per...

Background and Purpose—The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of basilar artery (BA) vasospasm on outcome in patients with severe vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Methods—Sixty-five patients with clinically suspect severe cerebral vasospasm after aSAH underwent cerebral angiography before endovascular treatment. Vasospasm severity was assessed for ...

Vasospasm of the cerebrovasculature is a common manifestation of blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) reported among combat casualties in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Cerebral vasospasm occurs more frequently, and with earlier onset, in bTBI patients than in patients with other TBI injury modes, such as blunt force trauma. Though vasospasm is usually associated with the presenc...

Prophylactic triple-H therapy (the combination of induced hypertension, hypervolemia, and hemodilution) has been suggested to prevent cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) that would cause increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) to the brain, and widely accepted in a number of institutions. It must be noted that triple-H therapy is not completely safe, sometimes carries significant...