Use of a large angioplasty balloon for predilation is a risk factor for embolic complications in protected carotid stenting

Selective-versus-Standard Poststent Dilation for Carotid Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKROUND

The safety and efficacy of standard poststent angioplasty in patients undergoing carotid artery stent placement have not been well-established.

PURPOSE

We conducted a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the safety and efficacy of carotid artery stent placement and analyzed outcomes of standard-versus-selective poststent angioplasty.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Web of Science was performed for studies published between January 2000 and January 2015.

STUDY SELECTION

We included studies with >30 patients describing standard or selective poststent angioplasty during carotid artery stent placement.

DATA ANALYSIS

A random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the following outcomes: periprocedural stroke/TIA, procedure-related neurologic/cardiovascular morbidity/mortality, bradycardia/hypotension, long-term stroke at last follow-up, long-term primary patency, and technical success.

DATA SYNTHESIS

We included 87 studies with 19,684 patients with 20,378 carotid artery stenoses. There was no difference in clinical (P = .49) or angiographic outcomes (P = .93) in carotid artery stent placement treatment with selective or standard poststent balloon angioplasty. Both selective and standard poststent angioplasty groups had a very high technical success of >98% and a low procedure-related mortality of 0.9%. There were no significant differences between both groups in the incidence of restenosis (P = .93) or procedure-related complications (P = .37).

LIMITATIONS

No comparison to a patient group without poststent dilation could be performed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis demonstrated no significant difference in angiographic and clinical outcomes among series that performed standard poststent angioplasty and those that performed poststent angioplasty in only select patients.

Clinical Presentation, Imaging, and Management of Complications due to Neurointerventional Procedures

Neurointervention is a rapidly evolving and complex field practiced by clinicians with backgrounds ranging from neurosurgery to radiology, neurology, cardiology, and vascular surgery. New devices, techniques, and clinical applications create exciting opportunities for impacting patient care, but also carry the potential for new iatrogenic injuries. Every step of every neurointerventional procedure carries risk, and a thorough appreciation of potential complications is fundamental to maximizing safety. This article presents the most frequent and dangerous iatrogenic injuries, their presentation, identification, prevention, and management.

Endovascular management of inadvertent subclavian artery catheterization during subclavian vein cannulation

PURPOSE

To retrospectively review a 9-year experience with endovascular management of inadvertent subclavian artery catheterization during subclavian vein cannulation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From June 2000 through July 2009 (109 months), 13 patients underwent endovascular management of inadvertent subclavian artery catheterization. All catheters were still in situ, including one 7-F catheter, six 8-F catheters, and six large-bore 10-11-F catheters. Treatment was performed with an Angio-Seal device (n = 6) or balloon catheters (n = 7) and by additional stent-graft placement (n = 4).

RESULTS

Mean follow-up was 27.3 months (range, 0.4-78 months). The 30-day mortality rate was 7.7% and the late mortality rate was 46.1%. Primary technical success was achieved in nine patients (69.2%), in four with the use of a compliant balloon catheter and in the other five with an Angio-Seal device. Complications required additional stent-graft placement in four patients (30.8%), one because of stenosis after Angio-Seal device deployment and three as a result of insufficient closure of the puncture site by balloon tamponade. Stent-graft repair was successful in all four patients, for a primary assisted technical success rate of 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

Endovascular techniques offer a less invasive alternative to surgery. The present limited experience shows that the use of the Angio-Seal device is not without risks, whereas balloon tamponade is not always reliable in closing the puncture site. Stent-graft placement may be required in patients in whom balloon tamponade fails or in whom the use of the Angio-Seal device is contraindicated.

Intraprocedural plaque protrusion resulting in cerebral embolism during carotid angioplasty with stenting

An 82-year-old man with an asymptomatic left high-grade carotid stenosis was treated with carotid artery stenting (CAS) under distal protection. The procedure consisted with predilation with a 5 x 40 mm percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon, deployment of a 10 x 20 mm self-expandable stent, post-dilation with a 7 x 20 mm PTA balloon, and aspiration of debris with 60 ml of blood. The cervical carotid angiogram immediately after deflation of the distal blocking balloon demonstrated a small in-stent filling defect of the contrast medium that protruded from the anterior wall of the carotid artery. The following cranial carotid angiogram showed abrupt occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA). Because the in-stent lesion had vanished in the repeat study after recognition of this embolic event, it was suggested that an embolus had been liberated from the in-stent lesion, reaching the left MCA and obliterating it. In this case, the embolus was speculated to originate in the ruptured plaque, which protruded into the stent through the cells of the device and became liberated into the bloodstream. Attention should be paid so as not to overlook any plaque protrusion, which may be seen subsequently as a cerebral embolism on the angiogram obtained immediately after CAS.

Carotid stenting without use of balloon angioplasty and distal protection devices: preliminary experience in 100 cases

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A major concern during carotid artery stent placement is the potential for cerebral embolism. Diminishing the number of device manipulations across the lesion might reduce procedural stroke risk. For this purpose, we report our initial experience with carotid stent placement without the use of either balloon angioplasty or distal protection devices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighty-seven consecutive patients with 100 carotid stenoses compose this series. Ninety four of the 100 hundred stented carotid arteries were either symptomatic (58 [58%]) or had a greater than 70% stenosis (36 [36%]). Six percent of them were asymptomatic and had stenosis between 50% and 70%. Patients underwent neurologic evaluation before the procedure and during follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and annually thereafter. Carotid sonography and plain films of the neck were performed immediately after the procedure and then at the same time intervals.

RESULTS

Primary stent placement was successful in 98 of 100 case subjects. In 2 case subjects, predilation was necessary before stent deployment. Neurologic periprocedural complications included 1 nondisabling and 1 disabling stroke and 5 transient ischemic attacks. The mean duration of follow-up was 23 months (range: 10-36 months). During the follow-up period, there were 5 deaths, all unrelated to the carotid disease, and no major stroke. The degree of stenosis decreased from a mean of 78.85% before the procedure to a mean of 21.23% immediately after.

CONCLUSIONS

In this series, carotid stent placement without the use of either balloon angioplasty or distal protection devices was safe and effective with a low incidence of periprocedural complications.