Carotid artery stenting: early and long-term results

We studied 147 patients who underwent 171 interventions of transluminal balloon angioplasty with carotid artery stenting (CAS). Mean degree of stenosis measured by angiography before the intervention was 74±10%. Technical success (residual stenosis <30%) was achieved in 97% cases. Acute stroke during the intervention and in the early postoperative period was registered in 17 (11.6%) subjects: 11 (7.5%) patients had TIAs, 3 (2.05%) had “minor” stroke and 3 (2.05%) had “major” stroke. No events of myocardial infarction or death were observed. One hundred thirty-three patients (90%) were followed-up in the long-term perspective (21 [13; 38] months). Ipsilateral stroke was diagnosed in one patient (0.8%). No events of restenosis (≥50%) were observed in 155 cases of CAS. Asymptomatic stent occlusion was recorded 11 months after intervention in one patient (0.6%) who had subtotal stenosis of ipsilateral intracranial internal carotid artery. Thus, acute neurological deterioration develops mainly in the perioperative period, but the rate of stroke is low (4.1%). CAS is an effective method to prevent stroke in the long-term perspective in patients with extracranial carotid stenosis.