ROUTINE ULTRASOUND SURVEILLANCE AFTER CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY

Ultrasounds (US) are employed in preoperative carotid disease diagnosi s and in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) follow-up. The authors present t heir experience about postoperative modifications in CEA. site with US evaluation with particular interest in restenosis. Clinical and instr umental examinations were performed at intervals 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 m onths following surgery. Follow-up data were available on 189 CEAs. In 58 cases a primary closure was performed, whereas in the other 131 ca ses, a patch was applied. 15 restenosis (7.9%) were seen during the fo llow-up control period with 2 cases of haemodynamic restenosis (1%). G ood results were recorded with PTFE patch angioplasty (restenosis 4.4% ), instead of vein (restenosis 14.2%) and a biosynthetic material call ed Omniflow (restenosis 9.5%). A vein patch dilatation was encountered in 13 applications (30.9%). In conclusion the routine application of US after carotid endarterectomy allowed us to monitor the evolution of the repair processes and of the stenotic lesions from the very beginn ing.