Noninvasive conjunctival oxygen monitoring during carotid endarterectomy

Conjunctival microcirculation in ocular and systemic microvascular disease

The conjunctival microcirculation is an accessible complex network of micro vessels whose quantitative assessment can reveal microvascular haemodynamic properties. Currently, algorithms for the measurement of conjunctival haemodynamics use either manual or semi-automated systems, which may provide insight into overall conjunctival health, as well as in ocular and systemic disease. These algorithms include functional slit-lamp biomicroscopy, laser doppler flowmetry, optical coherence tomography angiography, orthogonal polarized spectral imaging, computer-assisted intravitral microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and corneal confocal microscopy. Furthermore, several studies have demonstrated a relationship between conjunctival microcirculatory haemodynamics and many diseases such as dry eye disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, hypertension, sepsis, coronary microvascular disease, and sickle cell anaemia. This review aims to describe conjunctival microcirculation, its characteristics, and techniques for its measurement, as well as the association between conjunctival microcirculation and microvascular abnormalities in disease states.

Noninvasive analysis of conjunctival microcirculation during carotid artery surgery reveals microvascular evidence of collateral compensation and stenosis-dependent adaptation

OBJECTIVE

Hemodynamically relevant internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis is a major cause of ischemic stroke. Despite its long-term benefit, carotid endarterectomy may also be associated with severe neurologic deficits. Intraoperative and early recognition of ischemia in the region of the ICA may reduce this risk. To date, direct imaging and quantitative analysis of microvascular structures and function in the human ICA region have not been possible. We purposed to visualize and quantify ischemia/reperfusion-induced microcirculatory changes in the terminal vascular bed of the ICA in patients undergoing unilateral ICA endarterectomy.

METHODS

Sequential analysis of the ipsilateral and contralateral conjunctival microcirculation was performed with orthogonal polarized spectral imaging in 33 patients undergoing unilateral ICA endarterectomy because of moderate or severe ICA stenosis (North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial score, 75% +/- 13%), before clamping the ICA (baseline), during clamping of the external carotid artery and ICA, during reperfusion of the ICA (intraluminal shunt), during the second clamping of the ICA (shunt removal), after declamping (reperfusion) of the external carotid artery and ICA, and 15 to 20 minutes after the second ICA reperfusion.

RESULTS

During ICA clamping for shunt placement, ipsilateral and contralateral conjunctival capillary perfusion was significantly decreased, but it was completely restored after reperfusion with carotid shunting. Reclamping of the ICA for shunt removal caused microvascular dysfunction, which was significantly less pronounced than that observed during the first clamping. The individual degree of ICA stenosis was inversely correlated with the ipsilateral and contralateral decrease in conjunctival functional capillary density during the first ICA clamping.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest adaptive mechanisms of capillary perfusion with increasing stenosis and development of collateral compensatory circulation in the vascular region of the human ICA. Conjunctival orthogonal polarized spectral imaging during unilateral ICA reconstruction enables continuous noninvasive analysis of bilateral conjunctival microcirculation in the terminal region of the ICA and enables monitoring for efficient carotid shunt perfusion during and after endarterectomy.

Continuous conjunctival oxygen tension (PcjO2) monitoring for assessment of cerebral oxygenation and metabolism during carotid artery surgery

The clinical value of noninvasive continuous monitoring of conjunctival oxygen tension for assessment of cerebral perfusion during carotid endarterectomy performed under general anaesthesia has been evaluated. The patients (n = 17; mean age 62.5 +/- 1.7 years) were monitored as follows: conjunctival oxygen tension (PcjO2); internal jugular venous oxygen tension at the skull base level (PcijvO2); arterial blood pressure; arterial and internal jugular venous blood gases; acid-base data and lactate, pyruvate levels; end-tidal CO2 concentration. The mean preanaesthetic PcjO2 level of 4.86 +/- 0.40 kPa was significantly lower than PaO2(PcjO2)/PaO2 ratio of 0.48). Following anaesthesia, a larger PcjO2-PaO2 gradient (ratio 0.32) was seen in spite of the hyperoxic situation (FiO2 = 0.40) due to vasoconstriction induced by slight hypocapnia (reduction of PaCO2 from 5.13 +/- 0.08 to 4.64 +/- 0.10 kPa). The carotid artery crossclamping resulted in a rapid and pronounced decrease of PcjO2, while PcijvO2 remained unchanged. No relationship between PcjO2 and stump pressure was found, while a significant correlation (P less than 0.02) between PcjO2 and lactate in effluent venous blood from the brain was demonstrable. It is concluded that PcjO2 monitoring seems a clinically useful trend indicator of cerebral perfusion in the individual patient. Due to large interindividual variations in basal PcjO2 readings and in PcjO2 changes during carotid artery clamping, however, transconjunctival oxygen tension monitoring does not seem to allow early and accurate recognition of impending cerebral ischaemia during carotid endarterectomy, and its routine use therefore seems of limited value.

Non-invasive conjunctival PCO2 and PO2 monitoring during hyper- and hypoventilation

In order to evaluate potential applications of non-invasive fiberoptic conjunctival carbon dioxide (Pcj,CO2) and polarographic oxygen (Pcj,O2) sensors, we studied the effects of graded hyper- and hypoventilation on Pcj,CO2 and Pcj,O2 values in dogs. Pcj,CO2 values correlated well with Pa,CO2 (r = 0.95, n = 114); the mean Pcj,CO2--Pa,CO2 gradient was 4 +/- 3 (S.D.) Torr. Both hyper- and hypoventilation resulted in decreased Pcj,O2 values, whereas decreased Pa,O2 was observed only during hypoventilation; thus, the Pcj,O2/Pa,O2 index decreased during hyperventilation but was maintained during hypoventilation. Because both cerebral and conjunctival capillary beds vasoconstrict during hyperventilation, this methodology may assist in the non-invasive monitoring of cerebral oxygenation during cerebral resuscitation and surgery. Non-invasive Pcj,CO2 monitoring, which reflects Pa,CO2 during changes in ventilation, may be used to simplify ventilator management and weaning, as well as guide appropriate timing of arterial blood gas analysis in hemodynamically stable patients.