ABSTRACT
Background: Carotid artery stenting [CAS] had become widely used as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy [CEA] in revascularization therapy of carotid artery stenosis, especially in some high risk patients for surgical intervention
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome and follow up of cases that undergo extracranial CAS at the Neuroendovascular Unit of Ain Shams University Hospital
Methods: During a 30 month period, 50 cases were enrolled and underwent carotid artery stenting with open cell [Protege [registered] - EV3] or closed cell [Wall stent[registered] - Boston scientific] stents. A filter device for embolic protection [Spider filter[registered] - EV3] was used. Clinical assessment with the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] together with post procedural diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging [DW-MRI] was used to determine cerebral embolization
Results: CAS was performed in 50 cases; 40 [80%] symptomatic and 10 [20%] asymptomatic. A similar number of open-cell and closed-cell stents were used. New acute cerebral emboli were detected with DW-MRI in 12% [6/50] of cases after the procedure. Three [3/50] cases [6%] showed corresponding clinical deterioration in NIHSS; two cases developed minor stroke and the third case developed a major stroke
Conclusion: CAS at Ain Shams Neuroendovascular Unit showed a high technical success rate and good short term clinical outcome