Effects of aortic valve replacement on cervical arterial blood flow.

Aortic stenosis is known to modify initial upstroke time (IUT) of velocity in peripheral arteries and carotid velocities. The authors conducted a pros pective study in 30 patients scheduled for aortic valve replacement for aor tic stenosis. The goal was to establish postoperative correction of carotid flow disorders. In the preoperative period, a positive correlation (p < 0.01)was observed b etween IUT and mean pressure gradient, and a negative correlation (p < 0.02 ) between IUT and aortic valve area. Post-operatively, the authors observed a large decrease (p < 0.0001) of IUT, and higher (p < 0.05) systolic peaks of velocity (PSV) in all studied arteries. In this article, the authors co nfirmed the few previous studies which described preoperative velocity modi fications in aortic stenosis population, but they also described for the fi rst time their postoperative correction. Therefore, identifying these patterns of peripheral circulatory alterations is important and underestimation of carotid stenosis, currently estimated preoperatively, must be avoided.