Intravenous digital subtraction angiography and duplex ultrasonography in postoperative assessment of carotid endarterectomy

Seventy-four consecutive patients who had undergone carotid endarterectomy procedures were examined with intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IV-DSA) and duplex ultrasonography (DUS) at intervals ranging from 1 to 14 months postoperatively. Ninety-one percent of the DUS and 74% of the DSA images were of diagnostic quality. The two modalities agreed in the assessment of the endarterectomy appearance in 84% of the arteries, with 85% showing no evidence of significant residual disease. There were no arteries with severe restenosis or complete occlusion. In the 10 vessels in which the two modalities disagreed in disease assessment, the IV-DSA images were often degraded by artifact or vessel overlap leading to underestimation of disease. The authors conclude that DUS is the examination of choice for routine follow-up studies of carotid endarterectomy.