CONCURRENT MONITORING OF BRAIN-STEM AUDITORY AND SOMATOSENSORY EVOKED-POTENTIALS DURING CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY

Intraoperative management of a 68-year-old man with a 3-month history of presyncopal attacks presenting for left carotid endarterectomy is reported. Preoperative angiograms revealed that the patient had a 90% stenosis of his left internal carotid artery and a 35% stenosis of right internal carotid artery, absent posterior communicating arteries, a totally occluded left vertebral artery, and a right vertebral artery that became compressed upon turning his head to the right, often precipitating the presyncopal attacks. The surgical procedure was managed with intraoperative monitoring of both brainstem auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials. The patient had an uneventful outcome. The anesthetic management is discussed. © Lippincott-Raven Publishers.