THE ROLE OF ANTIPLATELET DRUGS IN CAROTID RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

Neurologic events following carotid reconstructive surgery for symptomatic cerebral occlusive disease are generally reported to be 1-2%. One of the events leading to this incidence is thrombosis of the endarterectomized internal carotid artery (ICA) after surgery. Since antiplatelet drugs were found to be effective in altering platelet-induced thrombosis, a clinical trial of administration of aspirin (or aspirin-like) drugs to a group of patients who were to undergo ICA endarterectomy was made. This group was then compared to a comparable group from the previous year in whom drugs were not administered. Thrombosis resulting in hemiparesis occurred on 6 occasions in 5 patients in the group that did not receive drugs. Thrombosis was not observed in 2 patients exhibiting hemiparesis in the drugs group. The incidence of neurological complications following carotid reconstructive surgery can be further reduced by the use of aspirin and aspirin-like drugs.