Cerebral Hemorrhage in Carotid Artery Surgery

Abstract

<h3>Introduction</h3> In the course of evaluating surgical treatment in 900 patients with internal carotid artery stenosis or occlusion, we have encountered six who developed postoperative cerebral hemorrhage. It appears to us that a report of this complication is of special importance in view of the increasing use of this mode of therapy. We believe that there is a particular group of patients in whom the timing of operation for re-establishing adequate blood flow is an important consideration. In all of these six cases, the vessel operated upon was found to be patent, either by postoperative arteriog raphy or at autopsy. All of the patients were conscious after surgery and were showing clinical improvement and were well enough to be out of bed before complication occurred. One of them was on his way home after being discharged from the hospital. As yet, we do not have a definitive explanation for this