ARE THE CALCIUM-ANTAGONISTS REALLY USEFUL IN CEREBRAL ANEURYSMAL SURGERY - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

FROM 1983 TO 1990, 234 patients with one or several cerebral arterial aneurysms were surgically treated in our department. Since 1983, we ha ve been performing surgery as early as possible. As soon as the subara chnoid hemorrhage diagnosis is confirmed by computed tomography (or if unconfirmed, by lumbar puncture), we assume that each patient may hav e an aneurysm. Between 1987 and 1990, III patients were treated by vas cular volume expansion (maintenance of central venous pressure above 5 cm H2O with 4% albumin or Ringer-lactate or, if necessary, with 20% a lbumin), which we supplemented with calcium antagonists (nimodipine in 60 patients and nicardipine in 51 patients). Two months after being d ischarged, each patient is examined by a neurosurgeon and, on the same day, is subjected to a neuropsychological evaluation and a computed t omographic scan of the brain. A few months after this consultation, a working-position/family-activities questionnaire is issued to the pati ent. All of the results studied on the basis of postoperative mortalit y, second-month computed tomographic scan ischemia, neuropsychological evaluation, and return to work show no significant difference between the groups with or without calcium antagonists or between the nimodip ine and nicardipine subgroups.