[Permanent local nerve injuries after carotid endarterectomy].

UNLABELLED Functional assessment of nerves, especially motor rami of cranial nerves, in patients at postoperative period after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), is particularly important in case of necessity of contralateral carotid artery surgery. Bilateral damage to recurrent laryngeal or hypoglossal nerve is a potentially life-threatening complication. Sensory disturbances due to intraoperative injuries of cervical plexus branches may cause residual discomfort in numerous patients. The aim of this study was the assessment and comparison of frequency of persistent (for more than 12 months postoperatively) manifestations of cranial and cervical nerves injuries in patients after CEA performed either in the standard or eversion technique. A prospective study evaluating cranial and cervical nerves dysfunction after carotid endarterectomies in 144 out of 193 patients operated on from January 1999 until June 2001 was undertaken at the Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland. CEA was performed in the standard way (i.e. by primary closure) in 92 patients, while 52 others were operated on by eversion technique. Neurological examination with careful functional assessment of cranial nerves: V, VII, IX, X, XII and cervical plexus, was performed according to a standard protocol within two follow-up periods: 3 to 6 and 12 to 18 months after discharge from the hospital. RESULTS Dysfunction of recurrent laryngeal nerve and hypoglossal nerve were registered 12 to 18 months after CEA with similar incidence of 1.4%. There was no sign of residual damage to other cranial nerves. Sensory disturbances in the area supplied by cervical plexus, mainly transverse cervical and greater auricular nerve, were diagnosed in 26% of patients. There were no statistically significant differences in local neurological complication rates between patients operated on according to standard and eversion procedures. CONCLUSIONS 1. Permanent damage of cranial nerves refers to small group of patients after carotid endarterectomy and concern predominantly recurrent laryngeal nerve and hypoglossal nerve. 2. Majority of local neurological complications are injuries to cervical plexus branches. 3. Eversion carotid endarterectomy is not related to higher incidence of local neurological deficits compared to standard procedure.