Stem WE: Effect of STAMCA anastomosis on the course of experimental acute MCA embolic occlusion. Stroke 10

SUMMARY The experiments in this report were designed to evaluate the effect of superficial temporal-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis on the course of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion by emboli while avoiding a vessel clipping technique as well as the use of long-acting barbiturate anesthesia. Dogs were divided into 3 general groups: A) embolus placement 1 b following anastomosis; B) embolus placement 5 h prior to anastomosis; C) control group without anastomosis. Anastomosis prior to MCA occlusion has a favorable clinical effect and reduces the size of an infarction. Anastomosis 5 h after embolus placement is deleterious unless other therapeutic modalities can be shown to delay the course of infarction. Stroke Vol 10, No 4, 1979 SINCE the superficial temporal to middle cerebral artery anastomosis (STA-MCA) was first described a decade ago,21-22 the indications for the procedure have remained controversial. The effect of a superficial temporal to middle cerebral artery by-pass on the course of acute occlusion of the middle cerebral artery is of considerable importance in the prevention an