Early and late outcomes of carotid artery stenting

The most important reason of all strokes is carotid artery atherosclerotic disease. Endovascular treatment of carotid artery stenosis is safer than the high surgical risk patients who has less invasive carotid endarterectomy.In this study, we aimed to report the results of early and late follow-up of 21 patients underwent carotid artery endovascular therapy in our unit.In our Study, 21 lesions of 21 patients between 2006 and 2010, endovascular treatment was applied. Our patients ages ranged from 41 to 91, mean age is 65 (SD 13.2). 17% of the cases (81%) hypertension, 8 'patients (38%) diabetes mellitus, 8'patients (38%) coronary artery disease, 3'patients (14%) a history of coronary artery bypass grafting, 6'patients (29%) hyperlipidemia, 8'patients (38%) smoking history, 1 patient has a history of carotid endarterectomy. 1 of the cases is (5%) asymptomatic and 20'u (95%) symptomatic. All procedures were performed through long transfemoral way with using protection device, self-expandbl stents and ballon dilatation. All patients were given aspirin and clopidogrel before and after the procedure and heparin infusion during the procedure was performed. All of the patients at 3, 6, 12 months of routine Doppler U.S were controlled. Angiographic success, less than 10% residual diameter stenosis after stenting was defined as being. 100% technical success was achieved in the process of stenting. The average follow-up period was 10 months. After the procedure, 1 (5%) patients developed stroke. This patient died about 12 months after the procedure. One patient died due to MI 11 days after the procedure. One patient (5%) had restenosis. One patient had recurrent stenosis due to the development of PTA has been applied twice, re-stenosis developed 21 months after the procedure.Endovascular stenting of carotid artery stenosis in atherosclerotic increasingly process is shown as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy. Especially high-risk group of patients for surgery are seen as the only option. Recently, carotid artery stenting with distal protection filters, the development process has become more reliable and effective method.Key Words: carotid artery stenosis, carotid endarterectomy, distal protection diveces, endovaskular treatment, stroke.