Dušan Kanát, Vladimír Donáth, Ján Kothaj, Patrícia Tršková, Karol Štaudinger
Introduction: Carotid stenosis is one of the cause of cerebrovascular episode. Endarterectomy of arteria carotis interna (internal carotid artery) represents the basic method of treatment of cerebrovascular insufficiency in patients with extracranial manifestations of atherosclerosis. Methods: Retrospective evaluation of the group of operated patients for severe carotid stenosis, evaluated epidemiological data of patients, incidence of risk factors, complication frequency. Monitoring of clinical progress of patients after operation on antiagregation therapy by klopidogrel and ASA. Results: In the period of 2005-2007 one hundred and four reconstructive operations in the region of carotid bifurcation were performed at the Department of vascular surgery of the Surgical clinic, Teaching hospital FDR in Banska Bystrica. In the group of operated patients in the postoperative course the following complications occurred: 8 % CVE, in 2 % of patients the lesion of cranial nerves developed. They were patients with high level of carotid stenosis with bilateral findings of steno-occlusive processes and higher vascular risk. In the monitoring group of patients treated postoperatively with klopidogrel for three months recurrence of ischemic cerebral episodes did not occur. Conclusion: After evaluation of the group of our patients with severe carotid stenoses treated by carotid endarterectomy we have concluded that risk and benefit of operation intervention and possibility of endovascular therapy must be considered individually. Monitoring of clinical status of patients treated by adequate antiagregation therapy confirmed the importance of early therapy for prevention of CVE recurrence.