title: Cervical carotid artery stenosis: which technique, balloon angioplasty or surgery?
abstract: METHODS
  Between April 1991 and November 1995, 38 patients mean age 65 (6 females, 32 males) were treated by cervical puncture for isolated cervical carotid stenosis (33 internal, 1 external, and 6 common carotid). All patients but 5 were symtomatic (19 TIA, 7 amarosis, 2 strokes and 4 VB symptoms). Complex lesions involving the carotid bifurcation and heavy calcifications were treated by conventional surgery. Two different groups of patients were considered. A first group of 19 patients (17 restenosis, 1 primary, 1 FM dysplasia) was treated by simple balloon angioplasty (BA). A second group of 19 patients was treated by primary stenting (16 DF NOVO, 2 radio-induced, and 2 recurrent stenosis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No hematoma required surgery. In the first group one patient died from an intracerebral hemorrhage, one presented a reversible stroke and 3 others a TIA. In the second group there was no complication or silent infarction on the CT SCAN:
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Balloon angioplasty appears to be associated with a high neurologic risk. While primary stenting seems much more reliable. A longer follow-up to deal with restenosis. Conventional surgery remains the gold standard.
authors.affiliation: St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, Marseilles, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chambran
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bianca
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents