title: Endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting: the quest continues part two.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although randomized trials on carotid artery stenting (CAS) could not establish its equivalence to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with symptomatic carotid disease, CAS is rapidly evolving. Data on long-term outcome after CAS from randomized trials have now become available and ongoing, prospectively held registries frequently publish their results in increasing numbers of patients. We have therefore reviewed the currently available literature and provide an update of our previous article on this topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed literature searches were performed to identify relevant studies regarding current status of CEA and stenting for symptomatic carotid stenosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The efficacy of CAS in patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis remains unclear because of varying results in randomized trials. Although multiple registries do report promising results after CAS, peri-interventional stroke/death rates still exceed those rates currently found after CEA. Therefore, CEA remains the "gold standard" in treating these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical Spectrum Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. Electronic address: joekolkert@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Joe L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kolkert
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical Spectrum Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Robbert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meerwaldt
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical Spectrum Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Geelkerken
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Clark J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Zeebregts
mesh_terms: D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015607:Stents
keywords: Carotid artery disease; Carotid endarterectomy; Stent