Clinical Research Directory

CAROTID ENDATORECTOMY AND GENERAL ANESTHESIA: Assessment and Evaluation of Cerebral Ischemic Damage With Clinical, Laboratory and Imaging Parameters

This study is aiming to provide us with information about the neuroprotective effect of two commonly used anesthetic drugs, during carotid endarterectomy. A day before sugery, a brain MRI will be performed as well as a cognitive function assessment test. The day of the surgery each patient will receive anesthesia either by using intravenous anesthetic drug or an inhalation agent and during the intraoperative period, the Anesthesiologist will draw a small amount of blood in three different times in order to measure brain biomarkers. A day after the surgery, a second brain MRI will be performed as well as a second cognitive function assessment test and their results will be compared to the preoperative ones. The study will focus on whether there is a higher incidence of microischemic brain lesions shown in imaging tests or whether cognitive function is impaired postoperative or whether brain biomarkers indicating brain damage are elevayed with any of these drugs and thus conclude which one shows or not a neuroprotective effect, with the condition that no change in the regular anesthesia management was made and no danger was imposed on the patient.

Urgent Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) Versus Delayed CEA in Symptomatic Carotid Stenosis (SPREAD-STACI II)

In patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis of 50% or greater (measured according to the criteria of the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET)) who have experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ipsilateral stroke, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) offers maximum benefit if performed within 15 days of the initial ischemic symptom. National and international guidelines recommend surgical treatment (CEA) within this timeframe; however, no studies have specifically evaluated the optimal timing for CEA after a TIA or minor stroke. It is well established that the risk of a major stroke is highest in the first few days following a transient ischemic attack or minor stroke and then decreases over the subsequent days and weeks. This raises the hypothesis that performing an urgent carotid endarterectomy (within 3 days) may provide greater benefit compared to a delayed procedure (between 4 and 15 days).