Restenosis following carotid endarterectomy. Evaluation by duplex ultrasonography
J. L. Glover, P. J. Bendick, R. S. Dilley, V. P. Jackson, M. K. Reilly, M. C. Dalsing and R. J. Robison
This study evaluated the efficacy of duplex ultrasonographic scanning in
assessing the status of carotid arteries after 155 endarterectomies in 131
patients. Duplex studies were done as early as one month and as late as 96
months postoperatively; 33 patients had serial studies. Only 59 (42%) of
142 arteries had no evidence of irregularity or reduction in diameter at
the operative site. An additional 41 (29%) had a reduction in diameter
between 10% and 29%; 19 (13%) had reductions of 30% to 49%; nine (6%) from
50% to 69%; six (4%) from 70% to 99%; and eight (6%) were occluded. In 51
vessels, angiographic studies confirmed the duplex findings. Symptoms
suggestive of recurrent cerebrovascular disease occurred postoperatively in
25 instances; in only three were the anatomic findings suggestive of
lesions appropriate to the symptoms. We conclude that duplex
ultrasonographic scanning is a useful technique for assessing carotid
arteries after endarterectomy and that postoperative narrowing of vessels
occurs more commonly than suspected.
