Safety and Efficacy of Eversion Carotid Endarterectomy for the Treatment of Recurrent Stenosis: 20-Year Experience

Current options for treating recurrent carotid stenosis (RCS) include standard longitudinal arteriotomy and patch angioplasty with or without carotid endarterectomy (s-PCEA), carotidcarotid bypass, or carotid angioplasty and stent (CAS). Eversion carotid endarterectomy (e-CEA) is an effective procedure for treating primary carotid stenosis, yet it has not been reported for treating RCS. We evaluated the feasibility and outcome of e-CEA for treating of RCS in comparison to s-PCEA. The records of all patients undergoing elective CEA for symptomatic and asymptomatic high-grade RCS from January 1981 to July 2002 were reviewed. Although during the earlier period s-PCEA was performed preferentially, this paradigm changed to e-CEA being the preferred technique for treatment of RCS. During the course of postoperative follow-up when duplex sonography suggested high-grade RCS, the diagnosis was confirmed via arteriography. Data on cranial nerve injury, recurrent stenosis, stroke, and death were prospectively collected into a vascular registry database and analyzed retrospectively, Students' t-test and chi-square analysis were used to compare the group's baseline characteristics and outcomes. Over a 21-year period, 7001 patients underwent primary CEA for symptomatic (n = 2405, 34%) or asymptomatic (n = 4596, 66%) high-grade stenosis via standard (n = 1501, 21%) or eversion (n = 5500, 79%) techniques. Fifteen (25%) patients had 70 to 80% stenosis, 30 (51%) had 81 to 90% stenosis, and 14 (24%) had 91 to 99% stenosis. During this time period, 59 patients presented with symptomatic (n = 18, 31%) or asymptomatic (n = 41, 69%) high-grade RCS and underwent operative repair via s-PCEA (n = 22, 37%) or eversion (n = 37, 63%) techniques. The mean time interval for repeat carotid surgery for RCS was 49 months in the s-PCEA group and 48 months in the e-CEA group. Permanent cranial nerve injuries, stroke, and recurrent restenosis occurred in one (4.5%), one (4.5%), and one (4.5%) of the patients undergoing s-PCEA, respectively. In the e-CEA group, these events occurred in one (27%), none (0%), and one (2.7%) patients, respectively, There were no deaths during the 30-day postoperative period. Eversion CEA is a feasible option for the treatment of many RCSs and can be performed safely with a low rate of cranial nerve injury, recurrent stenosis, stroke, and death.