Complex Internal Carotid Aneurysms Treated by Superficial Temporal Artery Trunk-Radial Artery-Middle Cerebral Artery Bypass Combined with Balloon Occlusion of Internal Carotid Artery.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the feasibility to treat complex internal carotid aneurysms by superficial temporal artery trunk-radial artery-middle cerebral artery (STAT-RA-MCA) bypass combined with balloon occlusion of internal carotid artery.

METHODS

Postoperative clinical symptoms, the patency of bridge vessels (radial artery graft [RAG]), STAT and RAG diameters, RAG flow, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and mean transit time (MTT) were observed in 14 cases. Their correlations were analyzed.

RESULTS

Except 1 case, RAG was patent in 13 cases. Glasgow Outcome Scale score was 4 in one case and 5 in 13 cases. In the 13 cases with postoperative RAG patency, the mean diameter of STAT increased from 2.1 mm before operation to 3.0 mm on the first day after operation; the mean diameter of RAG was 3.7 mm on the first day after operation. In 3 of the 13 cases, STAT and RAG diameters further increased to 4.0 mm and 4.7 mm, respectively, 3 months after operation. There was a positive correlation between STAT and RAG diameters (P = 0.0005). The STAT (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001) and RAG (P < 0.0001, P = 0.0042) diameters were positively correlated with RAG flow and CBF, but the STAT (r = 0.762, P < 0.0001) and RAG (r = 0.54, P = 0.0042) diameters were negatively correlated with MTT.

CONCLUSIONS

STAT-RA-MCA bypass combined with balloon occlusion of internal carotid artery is feasible for the treatment of complex internal carotid aneurysms.