Carotid artery resection: preoperative temporary occlusion is not always an accurate predictor of collateral blood flow

Abstract

ConclusionThe morbidity predicted by means of preoperative PET studies does not always correlate with the morbidity experienced after permanent carotid artery occlusion. A pre-resection extracranial–intracranial bypass may be necessary to reduce the risk of neurologic morbidity, in particular when carotid artery resection is planned for tumors involving the skull base.ObjectivesCarotid artery resection is generally considered the only curative treatment for patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma involving the carotid artery. PET can be used during temporary occlusion of the internal carotid artery to assess the safety of the procedure. The aims of this paper were to clarify the risk of carotid artery resection and the benefit of extracranial–intracranial bypass.Material and methodsTwelve patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer adherent to the carotid artery and in proximity to the skull base who had shown good hemispheric collateral blood flow by means of PET underwent carotid artery resection without preoperative bypass.ResultsOf the 12 patients who underwent carotid artery resection without reconstruction, 10 suffered no serious neurologic complications; however, 2 suffered cerebral infarctions intraoperatively.