Carotid artery stent placement with embolic protection: single-center experience.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of carotid artery stent placement with embolic protection.


METHODS
During a 2-year period (May 2003 to April 2005), 232 patients underwent carotid artery stent placement with the Acculink RX stent-graft and an embolic protection device. There were 150 men (mean age,70 years; age range, 58-85 years) and 82 women (mean age, 76 years; age range, 56-82 years). One hundred sixty-five patients were symptomatic and 67 were asymptomatic. All patients were at high risk for carotid endarterectomy.


RESULTS
The procedure was technically successful in 231 patients. The procedure was stopped in one patient due to asystole. In three patients, a cervical approach was necessary owing to aortic arch anatomy. During the procedure,11 patients (4.74%) experienced bradycardia and two developed a major stroke (0.86%). The mean follow-up was 30 months (range, 12-36 months). Four patients died. No stent occlusion was observed. During the late follow-up period(>30 days), two patients (0.86%) had minor strokes, three (1.29%) had nonfatal transient ischemic attacks, and seven(3.01%) had myocardial infarctions.


CONCLUSIONS
Carotid artery stent placement with cerebral protection by using the specific devices compares favorably to previously reported surgical results.
Saratzis
Nikolaos
N
First Department of Surgery, Aristotle University, Farmaki 9A Str 55236, Thessaloniki, Greece. a_saratzis@yahoo.gr
Saratzis
Athanasios
A
Melas
Nikolaos
N
Lioupis
Athanasios
A
Lykopoulos
Dimitrios
D
Ginis
Georgios
G
Lazaridis
John
J
Ktenidis
Kyriakos
K
Kiskinis
Dimitrios
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome