Efficacy and safety of carotid artery stenting: Experience of a single center

OBJECTIVE
Moderate and severe carotid artery stenosis in the internal carotid artery causes 10% to 15% of all strokes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and short-term efficacy of carotid artery stenting (CAS) performed at a tertiary referral center.

METHODS
The records of patients who underwent CAS between January 2017 and May 2018 at a tertiary care center were analyzed retrospectively and a total of 145 patients were included in the study.

RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 70.1±8.6 years, 75.2% of the study group was male, and 37.9% had hypertension. Of the patients evaluated, 81 (55.9%) were classified as symptomatic and 64 (44.1%) were classified as asymptomatic. A percutaneous coronary intervention was performed after CAS more often in symptomatic patients (38.9%), while it was observed at the same rate both before (25.9%) and after (25.9%) CAS in the asymptomatic group, but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. A distal embolic protection device (EPD) was used in symptomatic patients (59.2%) and in the asymptomatic group (78.7%); however, a proximal EPD was used significantly more often in symptomatic patients (45.6%) compared with asymptomatic patients. No patient death was recorded while in hospital, and stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) development was observed in 5 (3.4%) patients. Stroke was seen in 2 patients (2.4%) and TIA in 3 patients (3.7%) in the symptomatic group; TIA or stroke was not seen in the asymptomatic group.

CONCLUSION
The results of this study revealed that CAS was a safe and practical procedure with an acceptable complication rate. In the appropriate patients, experienced interventionists can achieve good results when aggressive risk modification is applied and an EPD and optimal medical therapy are used.