Carotid artery stenosis and endarterectomy

Direct percutaneous carotid artery stenting with distal protection: technical case report

We describe the technique of percutaneous carotid artery stent placement with distal protection in a patient in whom marked innominate artery ectasia prevented transfemoral access to the right common carotid artery. After induction of general anesthesia, ultrasound was used to guide direct puncture of the common carotid artery followed by the introduction of a 5 French sheath. A GuardWire distal protection balloon (Medtronic, Santa Rosa, CA) was placed distal to the lesion and deployed at nominal diameter. A balloon-expandable stent was deployed without difficulty. Following stent placement, angiography demonstrated improved flow in the entire right carotid artery territory. There were no complications related to cervical soft tissue damage or clinical embolism. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was discharged in 24 hours. Direct carotid access is acceptable in select patients in whom a transfemoral, brachial, or transradial approach is technically difficult. The use of distal cerebral protection devices may reduce cerebral embolism associated with these procedures.

Carotid artery stenting: findings based on 8 years' experience

PURPOSE

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) may be an alternative to surgical endarterectomy not only in high-risk patients. Few data are available regarding the long-term clinical efficacy of CAS with the use of cerebral protection devices and the incidence of restenosis. Our experience demonstrates that if certain requirements are fulfilled, CAS can be considered a safe and effective treatment with high short-and long-term success rates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the past 8 years, we treated 1,003 patients (1,096 arteries) affected by internal carotid artery stenosis, 93 with bilateral stenosis. Of these, 567 (51.74%) were symptomatic and 529 (48.26%) asymptomatic lesions. The preprocedural evaluation was performed with Doppler ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance (MR) angiography/computed tomography (CT) angiography and a neurological evaluation. Antiplatelet therapy was administered before and after the procedure.

RESULTS

Technical success was achieved in 1,092 cases (99.6%), and a cerebral protection device was successfully used in 1,019 procedures (92.9%). The 30-day transient ischaemic attack (TIA)/stroke/death rate was 2.16%: death (0.18%) major stroke (0.45%) and minor stroke/TIA (1.53%). During a follow-up up to 8 years, restenoses occurred in 39 cases (3.57%), of which 28 were post-CAS (2.57%) and 11 post-CAS performed for restenosis after carotid endarterectomy (1%). Only five symptomatic restenoses>80% were treated with a repeated endovascular procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

A retrospective analysis of our experience suggests that CAS is a safe and effective procedure with better results than endarterectomy. In up to 8 years of follow-up, CAS seems to be effective in preventing stroke, with a low restenosis rate.

SELECTIVE VERSUS ROUTINE INTRAOPERATIVE SHUNTING DURING CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY

OBJECTIVE

The use of intraluminal shunting during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) remains controversial. Over the years, different shunting strategies have been used. More recently, the use of intraoperative electroencephalography and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring with selective intraluminal shunting has been explored. No studies have assessed the independent association of selective versus routine intraluminal shunting to outcomes after CEA.

METHODS

The clinical and radiological records of all patients undergoing CEA from 1994 to 2006 at an academic institution were reviewed retrospectively to assess outcomes at 72 hours. The independent association of selective intraluminal carotid artery shunting during CEA and perioperative stroke within 72 hours was assessed through multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

In 1411 patients with both symptomatic and asymptomatic extracranial carotid artery disease, there were a total of 49 (3.5%) perioperative strokes after CEA. There were two (1%) cases of perioperative strokes among 194 patients in the selective shunting group compared with 47 out of 1217 (4%) in the routine shunting group (P = 0.04). Symptomatic carotid artery disease was associated with a twofold increase in the odds of experiencing perioperative stroke (odds ratio, 1.95; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–3.52; P = 0.03). Patients undergoing electrophysiological monitoring with selective intraluminal carotid artery shunting were more than seven times less likely to experience a perioperative stroke (odds ratio, 0.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.01–0.40; P < 0.01). Increasing cumulative surgical volume, particularly more than 200 total cases, was associated with more than a twofold decrease in perioperative stroke (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.20–0.74; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Regardless of symptomatic carotid artery disease or cumulative surgical volume, patients undergoing CEA with intraoperative electroencephalography and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring with selective intraluminal carotid artery shunting had a stroke rate lower than that of the routine shunting group. Selective shunting based on electroencephalography and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring may be superior to the nonselective strategy.

Hyperglycemia independently increases the risk of perioperative stroke, myocardial infarction, and death after carotid endarterectomy

OBJECTIVE

Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that hyperglycemia lowers the neuronal ischemic threshold, potentiates stroke volume in focal ischemia, and is associated with morbidity and mortality in the surgical critical care setting. It remains unknown whether hyperglycemia during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) predisposes patients to perioperative stroke and operative related morbidity and mortality.

METHODS

The clinical and radiological records of all patients undergoing CEA and operative day glucose measurement from 1994 to 2004 at an academic institution were reviewed and 30-day outcomes were assessed. The independent association of operative day glucose before CEA and perioperative morbidity and mortality were assessed via multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

One thousand two hundred and one patients with a mean age of 72 +/- 10 years (748 men, 453 women) underwent CEA (676 asymptomatic, 525 symptomatic). Overall, stroke occurred in 46 (3.8%) patients, transient ischemic attack occurred in 19 (1.6%), myocardial infarction occurred in 19 (1.6%), and death occurred in 17 (1.4%). Increasing operative day glucose was independently associated with perioperative stroke or transient ischemic attack (Odds ratio [OR], 1.005; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.01; P = 0.03), myocardial infarction (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.004-1.016; P = 0.017), and death (OR, 1.007; 95% CI, 1.00-1.015; P = 0.04). Patients with operative day glucose greater than 200 mg/dl were 2.8-fold, 4.3-fold, and 3.3-fold more likely to experience perioperative stroke or transient ischemic attack (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.37-5.67; P = 0.005), myocardial infarction (OR, 4.29; 95% CI, 1.28-14.4; P = 0.018), or death (OR, 3.29; 95% CI, 1.07-10.1; P = 0.037), respectively. Median and interquartile range length of hospitalization was greater for patients with operative day glucose greater than 200 mg/dl (4 d [interquartile range, 2-15 d] versus 3 d [interquartile range, 2-7 d]; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Independent of previous cardiac disease, diabetes, or other comorbidities, hyperglycemia at the time of CEA was associated with an increased risk of perioperative stroke or transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, and death. Strict glucose control should be attempted before surgery to minimize the risk of morbidity and mortality after CEA.