Carotid artery stenting: early and long-term results

Abstract

We studied 147 patients who underwent 171 interventions oftransluminal balloon angioplasty with carotid artery stenting(CAS). Mean degree of stenosis measured by angiography beforethe intervention was 7410%. Technical success (residual stenosis30%) was achieved in 97% cases. Acute stroke during theintervention and in the early postoperative period was registeredin 17 (11.6%) subjects: 11 (7.5%) patients had TIAs, 3 (2.05%)had minor stroke and 3 (2.05%) had major stroke. Noevents of myocardial infarction or death were observed. Onehundred thirty-three patients (90%) were followed-up in thelong-term perspective (21 [13; 38] months). Ipsilateral strokewas diagnosed in one patient (0.8%). No events of restenosis(50%) were observed in 155 cases of CAS. Asymptomatic stentocclusion was recorded 11 months after intervention in onepatient (0.6%) who had subtotal stenosis of ipsilateral intracranialinternal carotid artery. Thus, acute neurological deteriorationdevelops mainly in the perioperative period, but the rate ofstroke is low (4.1%). CAS is an effective method to preventstroke in the long-term perspective in patients with extracranialcarotid stenosis.

Keywords

• endovascular treatment
• carotid artery stenting
• carotid artery stenosis
• stroke prevention