European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery
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Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg · May 1997
Meta AnalysisLocal versus general anaesthesia in carotid endarterectomy: a systematic review of the evidence.
To determine whether carotid endarterectomy under local anaesthesia is safer and as effective as under general anaesthesia. ⋯ Non-randomised studies suggest potentially important benefits from performing carotid endarterectomy under local anaesthesia. However, these studies were seriously flawed and can only be hypothesis generating. The results must be confirmed in large well-designed randomised trials before any recommendations on the use of local anaesthetic can be made.
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Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg · May 1997
Discriminative microcirculatory screening of patients with refractory limb ischaemia for dorsal column stimulation.
(1) To determine the proportion of patients with critical limb ischaemia refractory to invasive treatment that can be successfully treated by dorsal column stimulation (DCS), and (2) to identify potential responders to DCS by a simple test that is sufficiently predictive to limit the need for a prolonged trial stimulation period. ⋯ DCS is a rewarding therapeutic option in selected patients with critical limb ischaemia. delta tcpO2 appears to reliably predict response to DCS and may obviate trial stimulation in most cases.