Sixty-four patients undergoing E-CEA (n聽=聽37) and C-CEA (n聽=聽27) were prospectively studied. Non-invasive measurements of mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were perioperatively obtained over three 10-min periods. Baroreflex gain was calculated as the sequential cross-correlation between heart rate and beat-to-beat systolic blood pressure.
Compared with changes observed after C-CEA, E-CEA was associated with an increase in systolic pressure (SP) (P聽=聽0.01), diastolic pressure (DP) (P聽=聽0.008), MAP (P聽=聽0.002) and heart rate (HR) (P聽=聽0.03) on postoperative day 1 (POD-1). BRS decreased after E-CEA from 6.33 to 4.71聽ms聽mmHg鈭? on POD-1 (P聽=聽0.001) and to 5.26聽ms聽mmHg鈭? on POD-3 (P聽=聽0.0004). By contrast, BRS increased after C-CEA from 4.59 to 6.13聽ms聽mmHg鈭? on POD-1 (P聽=聽0.002) and to 6.27聽ms聽mmHg鈭? on POD-3 (P聽<聽0.0001).
E-CEA and C-CEA have different effects on BRS. This is associated with an altered haemodynamic behaviour after E-CEA and C-CEA, respectively. These findings are likely the result of carotid sinus nerve interruption during E-CEA and preservation with C-CEA.