Cardiac Output and Duplex Sonography in Carotid Endarterectomy

Cardiac Output and Cerebral Blood-flow During Carotid Endarterectomy in Regional vs. General Anesthesia. A Prospective Randomized Controlled Single Center Study

The aim of this study is to investigate the differences between the cardiac output and the cerebral blood-flow between a regional anesthesia (RA) and a general anesthesia (GA) in a randomized, controlled, single center study at the Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine.

The investigators will investigate the differences between the cardiac output and the cerebral blood-flow between a regional anesthesia (RA) and a general anesthesia (GA) in a randomized, controlled, single center study at the Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine.

For this purpose patients with the need of a carotid endarterectomy (CEA) will be included and randomized either to the regional anesthesia (RA) or the general anesthesia (GA) group until a patient number of 45 in each group is achieved.

The cardiac output and cerebral blood-flow via trans-cranial Doppler (TCD) will be measured at 6 time points:

• T0 Baseline (after insertion of an arterial line)
• T1 After induction of anesthesia, but before surgical start
• T2 Two minutes after clamping the carotid artery
• T3 Two minutes after shunt insertation of the carotid artery
• T4 After reperfusion
• T5 After completion of the skin suture

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age >= 18 years
2. Elective carotid endarterectomy
3. Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Age under 18 years
2. Missing signed informed consent