Double-Barrel Extracranial-Intracranial Bypass and Trapping of Dolichoectatic Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysms: 3-Dimensional Operative Video.

Abstract

A dolichoectatic intracranial vessel with multiple fusiform aneurysms on the same vessel segment is rare, and usually managed with a bypass with aneurysm trapping. This video demonstrates trapping and a double-barrel superficial temporal artery-to-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass to treat two fusiform aneurysms in a left dolichoectatic superior MCA trunk. A 46-year-old man with AIDS presented with aphasia and hemiparesis. IRB approval and patient consent were obtained. Both STA branches (frontal and parietal) were harvested. After widely splitting the sylvian fissure from its proximal portion to the angular gyrus, the two fusiform aneurysms on the superior MCA trunk were identified in the insular recess and the circular sulcus. The outflow artery from each aneurysm was identified and prepared for the bypass. The STA was transected, and both limbs were brought down into the fissure. After trapping the distal aneurysm, an end-to-end anastomosis of the parietal STA branch to the M2 MCA was performed. Thereafter, a second bypass was performed in an end-to-side fashion to an M2 branch from the base of the first aneurysm. The second aneurysm was then trapped. Indocyanine green angiography confirmed the patency of both bypasses. Complete aneurysm occlusion and bypass patency were also confirmed with postoperative angiography. The patient recovered from his pre-operative neurological deficits. This case demonstrates the efficacy of double-barrel STA-MCA bypass in combination with aneurysm trapping in a patient with a complex dolichoectatic superior MCA trunk aneurysm. It also highlights the advantage of using end-to-end anastomosis for deep recipients with limited access.