The effect of carotid endarterectomy on ocular blood velocity.

PURPOSE: The authors studied the effect of carotid endarterectomy on blood velocity in the ophthalmic artery and in the central retinal artery (CRA) and central retinal vein.

METHODS

Pre- and postoperative ultrasonographic and preoperative angiographic determination of the internal carotid artery occlusion rate and orbital color Doppler imaging measurements were performed on 18 consecutive cases of carotid endarterectomy (17 patients).

RESULTS

Most of the blood velocity values in the CRA improved and corresponded to the contralateral values postoperatively. The peak systolic (vp) and end diastolic velocity (edv) in the CRA and ophthalmic artery (OA) increased significantly postoperatively (vpCRA: P = 0.027; edvCRA: P = 0.023; vpOA: P = 0.034; edv OA: P = 0.047). Systolic acceleration in the OA also increased (P = 0.018). However, the individual response was variable. In 81%, the ratio of vpCRA of the operation side and the contralateral side was higher postoperatively than preoperatively. The flow increased also in the OA. The flow was reversed in the OA in two cases and in both the direction of flow changed postoperatively. There was no increase in the peak velocity in the central retinal vein.

CONCLUSIONS

Carotid endarterectomy resulted in significantly increased flow in the CRA and OA, but no effect was observed on the central retinal vein.