Endovascular treatment of carotid atherosclerotic disease: early and late outcome in a non-selected population.
BACKGROUND
Carotid angioplasty and stenting are still not widely accepted treatments for carotid stenosis. This registry was aimed at investigating the efficacy of endovascular therapy of the extracranial carotid arteries in a non-selected population.


METHODS
One hundred nineteen consecutive patients (93 males and 26 females, mean age 70.4 +/- 7.2 years) were enrolled to undergo percutaneous angioplasty and/or stenting of the extracranial carotid artery. The primary endpoint of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of carotid elective angioplasty and stenting in a "real life group" of patients (> 50 years, without strict target vessel selection or inclusion criteria) with carotid occlusive disease. During a 6-12 month follow-up period late major adverse events were evaluated, either related to the endovascular treatment or due to other pathological conditions.


RESULTS
Percutaneous procedure was effective in 118/119 patients (99.16%). Procedural success rate was 99.16%, in-hospital major neurological symptomatic complications 0%, in-hospital minor neurological symptomatic complications 3.36% (two minor strokes, one transient ischemic attack and one subarachnoid hemorrhage). The follow-up observation time ranged from 6 to 36 months following the percutaneous procedure. Overall follow-up data showed absence of late major adverse events related to carotid disease (stroke, permanent neurological damage, death), in-stent restenosis 5.04%, balloon expandable stent crush 0.84%, stent migration 0.84%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data confirm that percutaneous dilation and stenting of the carotid artery represent an effective method which, during the periprocedural phase and the follow-up, does not expose the patient to any greater risk of complications than traditional surgery.
Cremonesi
A
A
Interventional Cardio-Angiology Unit, Villa Maria Cecilia Hospital, Cotignola (RA), Italy. vmc.emod@gruppovillamaria.it
Castriota
F
F
Manetti
R
R
Balestra
G
G
Liso
A
A
D000368:Aged; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002342:Carotid Artery, External / Q000601:surgery; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome