Short- and Long-Term Outcomes Following Biological Pericardium Patches Versus Prosthetic Patches for Carotid Endarterectomy: A Retrospective Bicentric Study

Abstract

Background: Currently, there are various types of patches available on the market for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with enlargement angioplasty, prosthetic, and biological patches including bovine pericardial patches. Despite the increasing use of these biological patches, there are little data in the literature comparing the results of these 2 types of patch. The purpose of this study is to compare the short- and long-term results of bovine pericardium patches (BPPs) with prosthetic patches (PPs) in carotid thromboendarterectomy.

Methods: This study presents a retrospective analysis of all CEAs performed at Montpellier and Nîmes University Hospitals (France) in 2014 and 2015. Patients who underwent eversion were excluded. Preoperative, peroperative, and postoperative clinical and Doppler ultrasound results were collected and analyzed. The primary end point was the comparison of the restenosis rate between the BPP and the PP group. Secondary end points were the analysis of restenosis risk factors (type of patch, gender, renal failure, smoking, diabetes, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, and redo surgery were analyzed); the comparison of morbidity-mortality and infection between the BPP and the PP group and the comparison of morbidity-mortality between symptomatic and asymptomatic stenosis.

Results: In total, 342 CEAs were performed: 168 (49%) with BPP and 174 (51%) with PP. Median follow-up was 30 months (interquartile range = 24). The stroke rate at day 30 was 3.22% and mortality at day 30 was 1.86%. There was no significant difference between groups concerning anyone of the variables of interest. At the end of follow-up, the restenosis rate >50% was 7.31% (6.45% for the BPP group vs. 8.22% for the PP group, P = 0.55). The severe restenosis rate (>70%) was 4.65% (5.16% for the BPP group vs. 4.11% for the PP group, P = 0.79). The univariate analysis identified renal failure (odds ratio = 2.69) as the main risk factor. The postoperative infection rate was 1.17% (0.59% for the BPP group vs. 1.75% for the PP group, P = 0.62).

Conclusions: The rates of stroke and postoperative death, bleeding, infection, and restenosis are comparable between BPPs and PPs in our study. The use of prosthetic or biological patches seems to deliver comparable outcomes. Further studies on larger samples are required.