Current status in cervical carotid artery stent placement.

Aim of this paper is to provide background information and the latest developments and studies pertaining to carotid artery stent placement in the treatment of carotid artery occlusive disease. A review of current literature combined with personal experience in the field of carotid stenting is presented. Endovascular stent placement for carotid artery occlusive disease is evolving from its initial controversial position to that of an alternative treatment of extracranial carotid artery disease. The high technical success (98-99%) as well as the relatively few complications makes carotid stenting a substitute for carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic patients and especially those with high medical comorbidities. With the advent of distal embolic protection, the complication rates for carotid stenting have decreased by approximately 50% to 2-4% for most major centers. Hence, with improved technology, carotid stenting is becoming an option for asymptomatic patients, especially those with high surgical risk. Early results for patency and neurological follow-up have also been encouraging. When we first began performing carotid stenting in 1995, we used a mixture of peripheral and coronary techniques. As stent design, guide catheters and cerebral protection devices have become dedicated and sophisticated, the technical success, patency and complication rates have improved. Carotid stenting will increase in application in the future especially among high surgical-risk patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid occlusive disease.