Effect of STA-MCA anastomosis on the course of experimental acute MCA embolic occlusion.

The experiments in this report were designed to evaluate the effect of superficial temporal-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis on the course of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion by emboli while avoiding a vessel clipping technique as well as the use of long-acting barbiturate anesthesia. Dogs were divided into 3 general groups: A) embolus placement 1 h following anastomosis; B) embolus placement 5 h prior to anastomosis; C) control group without anastomosis. Anastomosis prior to MCA occlusion has a favorable clinical effect and reduces the size of an infarction. Anastomosis 5 h after embolus placement is deleterious unless other therapeutic modalities can be shown to delay the course of infarction.