A 20-year experience in surgical treatment of steno-occlusive lesion of craniocervical arteries at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Center

Abstract

Surgical treatment of cerebral ischemia at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Center for the period from 1999 to 2019 is analyzed in the paper. The details of the treatment strategy in patients with steno-occlusive lesion of craniocervical arteries followed by cerebral ischemia developed over 20 years are discussed in the article. We have analyzed the features of surgical interventions on the major craniocervical arteries in a neurosurgical clinic and the results of this treatment. To demonstrate management of various lesions of major cerebral arteries in modern neurosurgical vascular hospital. In total, there were 3098 interventions on the major cerebral arteries in 2527 patients for this period. Mean age of patients ranged from 1.5 to 91 years (58±14 years). Interventions included open reconstructions of the carotid arteries (2031 surgeries), reconstructions of the vertebrobasilar arteries (135 surgeries), brain revascularization (658 surgeries), excision of the tumors of neurovascular bundle on the neck compressing carotid arteries (51 interventions). Endovascular interventions were performed in 223 cases and consisted of angioplasty and stenting of the extracranial segments of craniocervical arteries (185 surgeries), stenting of the intracranial arteries (30 surgeries) and endovascular thrombextraction (8 cases). Staged surgeries were performed in 541 patients (22.3%). Favorable outcomes were obtained in 87.6% of cases, satisfactory results - in 9% of patients. Clinical deterioration due to long-term postoperative complications and recurrent strokes occurred in 2.9% of cases. Postoperative morbidity rate was 4.6%, persistent neurological deficit developed in 2.6% of cases. Mortality rate was 0.5%. Surgical treatment of stenotic and occlusive lesion of the major cerebral arteries is an interdisciplinary problem. Solution of this issue is closely associated with technological progress, new discoveries in normal and pathological physiology, as well as clinical researches. Individualized choice of surgical approach is one the main modern trends of neurosurgical approach to this problem. At the same time, own surgical experience is the most important factor determining the results of arterial reconstructions.