Carotid artery stenting is associated with a higher incidence of major adverse clinical events than carotid endarterectomy in female patients

Female Gender Increases Risk of Stroke and Readmission after CEA and CAS

OBJECTIVES

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has historically demonstrated a higher rate of perioperative adverse events for female patients. However, recent evidence suggests similar outcomes for CEA between genders. In contrast, fewer studies have examined gender in carotid artery stenting (CAS). Using contemporary data from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, we aim to determine if gender impacts differences in postoperative complications in patients who undergo CEA or CAS.

METHODS

The ACS NSQIP database was queried from 2005-2017 using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for retrospective review. Patients with carotid intervention (CEA or CAS) were stratified into asymptomatic vs symptomatic cohorts to determine the effect of gender on 30-day postoperative outcomes. Symptomatic patients were defined as those with perioperative transient cerebral ischemic attack or stenosis of carotid artery with cerebral infarction. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Risk-adjusted odds of 30-day postoperative outcomes were calculated using multivariate regression analysis with fixed effects for age, race, and comorbidities.

RESULTS

There were 106,568 patients with CEA or CAS (104,412 CEA and 2,156 CAS). Average age was 70.9 years old and female patients accounted for 39.9% of the population. For asymptomatic patients that underwent CEA or CAS, female gender was associated with significantly higher rates of CVA/stroke (13%, p=0.005), readmission (10%, p=0.004), bleeding complication (32%, p=0.001), and UTI (54%, p=0.001) as well as less infection (26%, p=0.001). In the symptomatic cohort, female gender was associated with significantly higher rates of CVA/stroke (32%, p=0.034), bleeding complication (203%, p=0.001), and UTI (70%, p=0.011), while female gender was associated with a lower rate of pneumonia (39%, p=0.039). Subset analysis found that, compared to male patients, female patients <75yo have an increased rate of CVA/stroke (21%, p=0.001) and readmission (15%, p<0.001), while female patients ≥75yo did not. In asymptomatic and symptomatic patients that underwent CEA, female gender was associated with significantly higher rates of CVA/stroke (13%, p=0.006 and 31%, p=0.044, respectively), but this finding was present not in patients undergoing CAS.

CONCLUSION

In patients undergoing carotid intervention, female gender was associated with significantly increased rates of postoperative CVA/stroke in the asymptomatic and symptomatic cohorts as well as readmission in the asymptomatic cohort. Female gender was associated with higher rates of CVA/stroke following CEA, but not CAS. We recommend that randomized control trials ensure adequate representation of female patients to better understand gender-based disparities in carotid intervention.

Carotid artery stenting has similar outcomes in men and women

Background

The aim of carotid interventions is to prevent cerebrovascular events. Endovascular treatment (carotid-artery-stenting/CAS) has become established as an alternative to open surgery in some cases. Historically, female sex has been considered as a perioperative risk factor, however, there are few studies regarding this hypothesis when it comes to CAS.

Objectives

To analyze the CAS results in our center adjusted by sex.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was designed, including patients with carotid atheromatosis operated at a single center from January 2016 to June 2019. Our objective was to compare cardiovascular risk, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and mortality, by sex. Follow-up rates of stent patency, restenosis, stroke, myocardial infarction, and death were reported.

Results

71 interventions were performed in 50 men (70.42%) and 21 women (29.57%). Mean age was 70.50 ± 10.72 years for men and 73.62 ± 11.78 years for women. Cardiovascular risk factors did not differ significantly between sexes. Mean follow-up was 11.28 ± 11.28 months. There were no significant differences in neurological events during follow-up. No adverse cardiological events were detected at any time. Regarding the mortality rate, during medium-term follow up there were 2 neurological related deaths with no significant differences between sexes (p=0.8432). Neither sex had higher rated of restenosis during long term follow-up (5.63% vs. 1.41%, p = 0.9693) or reoperation (1.41% vs. 1.41%, p = 0.4971). All procedures remained patent (<50% restenosis).

Conclusions

Despite the limitations of our study, CAS is a therapeutic option that is as effective and safe in women as in men. No sex differences were observed.

Could Gender Impact on Immediate and Long-term Carotid Artery Stenting Outcome? Insight from an Italian Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has become a valid alternative to carotid endarterectomy in stroke prevention. However, female gender is still considered as an independent risk factor for CAS procedures, potentially limiting immediate and long-term benefits. Aim of present study was to evaluate gender differences in CAS submitted patients from an Italian high-volume center.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

a retrospective monocentric study has been conducted on 568 patients (366 males and 202 females), submitted to CAS, between January 2000 and December 2019. Besides gender sex, clinical anatomical, and procedural data were collected as possible factors determining the outcome, when associated to sex gender itself. Primary endpoint of this study consisted in evaluating the technical and procedural success ratio, and the incidence of major and minor stroke, transient ischemic attack, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) peri-procedurally and at medium and long term, between the male and the female population. Secondary endpoint of this study consisted in evaluating the percentage ratio of minor complications happening peri-procedurally in both genders.

RESULTS

Male patients were more likely to be octogenarians, clinical history of coronary artery disease, and smokers, while diabetes was more frequent in female patients. Anatomical and plaque morphology features were not different between the two groups. Technical success was obtained in all but two patients (99,6%), while procedural success was 95% (538/566 patients). During the peri-procedural time, no major stroke, 16 minor strokes (2,81%, 2,45% males vs. 3,45% females, P= 0,48), and 11 transient ischemic attack (2,18% males vs. 1,48% females, P= 0,56) were recorded. At a medium follow-up 57 months, 32 stroke (8 major strokes, 24 minor strokes) episodes (5,6%, males 5,7% vs. females 5,4%, P= 0,88), 24 AMIs (4,2%, males 4,6% vs. females 3,46%, P= 0,5;), 13 restenosis (2,8%, males 2,4% vs. females 1,9%, P= 0,71) and 223 deaths (39,2%, males 34,9% vs. females 47%, P= 0,0048) were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed no differences in immediate, and long-term CAS outcomes between gender. Larger, prospective studies are required to assess the real importance and significance of gender in determining CAS procedures' benefit and outcome.

The utility of adjunctive electroencephalography while performing transcarotid artery revascularization

Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) has been used as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy and transfemoral carotid artery stenting. Although TCAR has been associated with a decrease in perioperative strokes compared with transfemoral carotid artery stenting, little is known about the safety of cerebral blood during flow reversal or the value of adjunctive electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring in performing TCAR. We describe two cases of EEG changes in patients undergoing TCAR. These cases highlight the use of adjunctive EEG and provide examples of test clamping to assess for compromised collateral cerebral blood flow in patients undergoing TCAR.

Sex-Based Differences in Ten-Year Nationwide Outcomes of Carotid Revascularization

BACKGROUND

We compared the rates of stroke, death, and/or MI between men and women, stratified by symptomatic status and procedure type (carotid endarterectomy [CEA] or carotid artery stent [CAS]).

STUDY DESIGN

Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, crude and propensity-matched rates of the composite end point of stroke/death/MI were estimated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of stroke/death/MI associated with sex.

RESULTS

Between 2005 and 2015, there were 1,242,688 carotid interventions performed (1,083,912 CEA; 158,776 CAS; 515,789 [41.5%] were female patients). Symptomatic admissions comprised 11.3% of the cohort. In-hospital stroke/death/MI rates were more prevalent in men compared with women (4.2% vs 3.9%; p < 0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed symptomatic women vs men had higher rates of stroke after CEA (7.7% vs 6.2%; p < 0.01) and CAS (9.9% vs 7.6%; p < 0.01). Asymptomatic women experienced the same rates of stroke after either CEA (0.3% vs 0.3%; p = 0.051) or CAS (0.4% vs 0.5%; p = 0.09). Propensity-matched logistic regression revealed that symptomatic males vs females had lower odds of stroke after CEA (odds ratio [OR] 0.81; 95% CI 0.72 to 0.91) and CAS (OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.57 to 0.90). Asymptomatic men and women had similar odds of stroke after both CEA (OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.79 to 1.14) and CAS (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.43 to 1.13).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the largest cohort study to date that demonstrates asymptomatic women undergoing CEA or CAS do not have a higher risk of perioperative stroke, death, or MI. Symptomatic men experience lower rates of stroke after CEA or CAS.

Real-world experience of extracranial carotid artery interventions for atherosclerotic disease during a 10-year period

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to assess the long-term outcome of carotid disease treatment with endarterectomy or stenting (CEA or CAS) in a real-world setting during a 10-year period.

METHODS

A single center retrospective study with prospectively collected data including patients (symptomatic or asymptomatic) being treated with CEA or CAS. Survival, restenosis, stroke and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were the outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 413 patients (mean age of 69±3.5 years; 80%, 333/413 males) were treated with CEA (83.7%, 346/413) or CAS (16.3%, 67/413). Most of the patients were asymptomatic (60%, 248/413). The incidence of in-hospital stroke and death was 0.5% (2/413) and 0.7% (3/413), respectively. The survival rate at 1, 3 and 5 years was 98%, 94.7% and 90.6%, respectively. The freedom of re-stenosis at 1, 3 and 5 years was 99%, 98% and 90.5%, respectively. The freedom of any stroke at 1, 3 and 5 years was 99%, 97% and 94.8%, respectively. The freedom of MACE at 1, 3 and 5 years was 97.6%, 91.5% and 86.3%, respectively. Symptomatic presentation was associated with higher rates of restenosis after CEA and higher rate of mortality (P=0.025) and MACE (P=0.022) after CAS.

CONCLUSIONS

Carotid interventions remain durable treatment methods of carotid disease. Long-term outcomes regarding mortality, restenosis, and risk of stroke or MACE are similar between CAS and CEA for asymptomatic patients. Symptomatic presentation may be associated with higher rates of restenosis after CEA and higher rate of mortality and MACE after CAS, however larger studies are needed to clarify this issue.