Is Precise Targeting of the Recipient Artery in a Superficial Temporal Artery-Middle Cerebral Artery Anastomosis Crucial?

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the difference in treatment outcomes according to the method used to select the recipient artery in superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomoses.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 35 patients who underwent an STA-MCA anastomosis for internal carotid artery/MCA occlusion or stenosis. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether the recipient artery was precisely targeted by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT group) or less precisely targeted by visual assessment (Visual group). Then the bypass results in both groups were evaluated postoperatively based on changes in the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

The delineated recipient artery in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) matched the intraoperatively selected artery in 87.6% of the SPECT group cases and 83.3% of the Visual group cases. The SPECT group's digital subtraction angiography (DSA) findings coincided with the intraoperative selection in 76.9% of cases, and the MRA findings corresponded with the DSA findings in 92.3%. The postoperative areas with increased rCBF matched the perfused areas of intraoperatively selected arteries in 80.0% of the SPECT group cases and 77.8% of the Visual group cases. Postoperatively increased rCBF areas matching totally or partially with preoperative low-perfusion areas were observed in all cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The present results revealed no significant differences in the change in rCBF in the low-perfusion area between the patients whose recipient arteries were selected by SPECT or visual assessment.