Blood pressure measurement of the cerebral artery with strain gauge forceps (author's transl)

Abstract

In order to measure blood pressure (BP) of the vessels without damage, forceps with a pair of strain gauges has been designed and the applicability to quantitative BP measurement with the forceps was examined. Using 42 mongrel dogs BP of various arteries was measured by the strain gauge forceps and intraarterial cannulation method simultaneously. When the force of forceps made the artery to collapse, it was called“Maximum Force of Forceps” (MFF). MFF was well proportional to the intraarterial cannulation BP. Small pieces of human cerebral arteries, obtained from 7 autopsies, were also examined by strain gauge forceps loading by hydrostatic pressure. From the results of measurement of human cerebral arteries in hydrostatic pressure, a formula was introduced. With the formula intraarterial pressure could be calculated from the diameter of artery and MFF. The formula was applied to measure the blood pressure during surgery of STA-MCA anastomosis, AVM, aneurysm and carotid cavernous sinus fistula. Success of vascular anastomosis could be demonstrated quantitatively with measuring blood pressure of cortical MCA in STA-MCA anastomosis before and after the procedure. The change of blood pressure of draining vessel could show the extent of obstruction of feeding arteries in each step of extirpation of AVM. In carotid cavernous sinus fistula, remarkable change of blood pressure of intracranial internal carotid artery could be discerned after trapping of the fistula. In aneurysm operation, blood pressure measurement of parent artery helps detecting the stenosis after clipping or ligation of wide neck aneurysm.