Cervical carotid artery stent placement.

This article reviews the clinical application and early results of cervical carotid artery stent placement. Patient preparation, techniques in stent delivery and post care treatment performed at Pittsburgh Vascular Institute are discussed. Experiences of a multicentre study obtained from an international survey is revealed. A total of 3129 carotid stent procedures have been performed worldwide to date, with a technical success rate of 98.8%. Complications during placement or within a 30-day period of placement included 74 (2.4%) transient ischemic insults, 78 (2.49%) minor strokes, 43 (1.37%) major strokes and 30 (0.96%) procedure-related deaths. Restenosis rates at 6 months was 2.3%. Post-procedure neurologic sequelae occurred in 14 (0.79%) of cases. Carotid artery stent placement is growing as an alternative for endarterectomy, especially for patients with high surgical risk. The periprocedural risks for death and minor and major stroke are generally acceptable at this early stage of development.