Cerebral revascularization during barbiturate coma in primates and humans.

Extracranial-intracranial arterial bypass was performed in five baboons to assess the effectiveness of the procedure in preventing acute cerebral ischemia following middle cerebral artery occlusion in our primate model. Thirty minutes following middle cerebral artery occlusion, the animals were placed in barbiturate coma while the extracranial-intracranial artery bypass was being completed. In the three animals with patent extracranial-intracranial arterial bypasses, infarction was prevented. In the two with occluded extracranial-intracranial arterial bypasses, a large infarction in the territory of the middle cerebral artery occurred. In a clinical correlate, postoperative ischemia was presumably prevented in three patients by barbiturate administration and revascularization for unanticipated intracranial vessel occlusion.