Carotid stent angioplasty: the role of cerebral protection devices.

Carotid endarterectomy has been validated with results of several randomized controlled trials in which its effectiveness has been demonstrated over that of the best nonsurgical therapy. However, in the past several years, carotid angioplasty with stent placement has emerged as a potential safe and effective alternative to carotid endarterectomy. In this article we examine the current status of carotid angioplasty with the recent introduction of innovative cerebral protection devices and improved endovascular devices. We present a brief description of the current randomized trials evaluating carotid endarterectomy compared to carotid angioplasty as well as our combined experience in 262 patients.