Postprocedural Hypotension after Carotid Artery Stent Placement: Predictors and Short- and Long-term Clinical Outcomes

PURPOSE: To describe the predictors of persistent hypotension after carotid artery stent (CAS) placement and define the clinical outcome of patients with this hemodynamic disturbance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred forty CAS procedures were performed in 133 consecutive patients. Post-CAS hypotension—defined as a greater than 40 mm Hg decrease in arterial pressure without evidence of hypovolemia, with a systolic pressure lower than 90 mm Hg at the end of CAS and lasting at least 1 hour—was observed in 25 patients (group 1); 108 patients did not have hypotension (group 2). RESULTS: Post-CAS hypotension developed in 33.9% of cases after balloon-expandable stent placement versus in 13.6% of cases after self-expanding stent placement (P = .04). In-hospital minor ipsilateral strokes occurred in 16% of cases in group 1 versus in 3% of cases in group 2 (P = .03). There was one (0.9%) major stroke (transient) and three (2.6%) transient ischemic attacks, all of which occurred in group 2 (not significant vs grou...