title: Carotid artery stenting: first consensus document of the ICCS-SPREAD Joint Committee.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevention of stroke and the correct treatment of carotid artery stenosis represent today a major debate in cardiovascular medicine. Beside carotid endarterectomy, carotid angioplasty and stenting is becoming more widely performed for the treatment of severe carotid obstructive disease, and is now accepted as a less invasive technique that may provide an alternative for selected patients, particularly those with significant comorbidities. An Italian multidisciplinary task force, in which converged the most representative scientific societies involved in carotid treatment, was created to provide neurologists, radiologist, cardiologists, vascular surgeons, and all those involved in prevention and treatment of carotid disease with a simple, clear and updated evidence-based consensus document.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This First Consensus Document of the ICCS (Italian Consensus Carotid Stenting)/SPREAD group addressed the main issues related to methodology, definition of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis, indication and procedures for carotid artery stenting, including the use of devices for preventing procedural embolic complications. Special attention was paid to credentials and competency for physicians qualifications to perform vascular angioplasty and stent placement, including training, acceptable complication rates and certification.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As any guideline or consensus statement, also this document is valid as long as the evidence on which it is based remains up-to-date. In such a fast-evolving field of medicine as the management of carotid stenosis, it is mandatory to stimulate a continuous and fruitful discussion among all the professionals involved in this very evolutionary field.
authors.affiliation: Società Italiana di Cardiologia Interventistica (Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology).
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cremonesi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Setacci
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bignamini
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bolognese
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Briganti
authors.forename: Germano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Sciascio
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inzitari
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lupattelli
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mangiafico
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pratesi
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reimers
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Gianmarco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Donato
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ugolotti
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaninelli
authors.forename: Gian Franco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Gensini
mesh_terms: D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D015607:Stents