title: The use of covered stents for the endovascular treatment of extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis: a prospective study with a 5-year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the use of covered stents for the treatment of extracranial carotid artery stenosis caused by highly embologenic plaques, and to study the long-term outcome of patients receiving such covered stents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2002 and 2007, 46 patients (63% symptomatic, 78.3% male, 67 +/- 8.6 years old) with internal carotid artery stenosis caused by embologenic plaques or restenosis were treated with self-expanding covered stents (Symbiot, Boston Scientific). Pre-dilatation or protecting devices were not used. Post-dilatation was applied in every patient. Each patient was followed long-term. The outcome measures were the occurrence of neurological events, and the development of in-stent restenosis, as detected by clinical examination and duplex ultrasound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The technical success rate of stenting was 100%. There were no neurological complications in the peri-procedural period. The mean follow-up period was 34.3 +/- 27.7 months (the rate of patients lost to follow-up was 15.2%) during which no stroke or stroke-related deaths occurred. Restenosis was detected in 3 patients (6.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Covered stents provide efficient peri- and post-procedural protection against neurological complications due to embolisation from high-risk plaques during carotid artery stenting. Restenosis of covered stents appears to be infrequent during long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary. alexsolich@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szólics
authors.forename: László K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Sztriha
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szikra
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szólics
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palkó
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vörös
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015607:Stents