Endovascular carotid interventions

Introduction This article in the EuroIntervention Tools & Techniques series provides the “how-to-do” plus “tips & tricks” for carotid artery stenting (CAS). The complete, unabridged e-version with dynamic images can be viewed at www.eurointervention.org. The following is a summary and highlights the key approach that underpins a safe practice and the way to obtain good results. Endovascular carotid intervention was developed due to a need to provide a less-invasive and less-traumatic revascularisation strategy for patients considered high-risk for open surgery. The currents of rapid advancement in endovascular technologies and techniques over the last 10 years has resulted in the evolution of CAS to a refined procedure with great potential to be applied to routine carotid revascularisation practice. The benchmark for perioperative stroke or death for carotid revascularisation is the limit of 6% for symptomatic and 3% for asymptomatic patients.