Outcomes of carotid revascularization in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) carries an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) including cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs). There are multiple etiologies for CVA, and among them extracranial carotid artery disease accounts for approximately 25% of ischemic strokes. It has been shown that carotid revascularization by carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery angioplasty and stenting can decrease the risk of CVA in appropriately selected population with carotid artery disease. Both these techniques of carotid revascularization have been shown to be safe and clinically effective in many large multicentered randomized clinical trials. However, most of these large trials have predominately excluded the patients with kidney failure. Most of the evidence for the management of carotid disease in CKD is based on small clinical trials and expert opinions. There is an urgent need to conduct large clinical trials in patients with CKD to enable better understanding and to improve techniques of various carotid revascularization therapies in CKD patients.