Short- and long-term outcome after carotid artery stenting with neuroprotection: single-center experience within a prospective registry.

BACKGROUND: Carotid artery stenting is an alternative method to surgical endarterectomy for treatment of carotid artery stenosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three hundred and seventy-one consecutive patients (71+/-9 years) undergoing 405 carotid artery interventions at a single cardiologic center were studied prospectively within a therapy registry. In general, the interventional procedure was performed using neuroprotective devices to prevent distal embolization. Stents were used routinely whenever possible. Independent neurological assessment took place prior to and after carotid stenting. The neurological event rate was assessed in the early (<30 days) and late post interventional period. In asymptomatic patients, 286 interventions were done with a 30-day stroke rate of 1.3% (ipsilateral 1.0%). In symptomatic patients, strokes occurred in a significantly (p<0.005) higher rate of 5.0% after 119 interventions (all ipsilateral). At long-term follow-up (mean 728+/-548 days) additional strokes occurred ipsilateral to the side of carotid intervention in 0.4% of asymptomatic patients (1.7% of symptomatic patients); contralateral strokes were seen at long-term follow-up in 1.1% of asymptomatic (1.7% of symptomatic) patients. Due to their comorbidities, 1.6% of patients died early, and an additional 11.1% late after carotid stenting. CONCLUSION: Carotid artery stenting with the general use of neuroprotective devices yields acceptable shortterm results with respect to neurological events. Asymptomatic patients have significantly less periprocedural strokes than symptomatic patients. Neurological events during long-term follow-up are rare, in particular ipsilateral to the side of carotid stenting. Thus, carotid artery stenting with neuroprotection is a safe method for carotid revascularization, with acceptable periprocedural events, particularly in asymptomatic patients, and a good long-term neurologic outcome.

Fractional flow reserve predicts major adverse cardiac events after coronary stent implantation.

OBJECTIVES: Determination of fractional flow reserve (FFR) allows the functional assessment of coronary stenoses before and after an intervention. Preliminary data suggest that a FFR > or = 0.94 is associated with an excellent clinical outcome after stent implantation. However, these results were limited both by the number of patients included and the use of non-contemporary stent designs. We sought to determine the prognostic value of FFR measurements in a large patient cohort undergoing coronary stent implantation. METHODS: Eighty-nine consecutive patients were enrolled in whom a stent implantation was performed and a pressure wire was used as a guide wire. Patients were followed for at least 6 months. Death, myocardial infarction (MI) and target vessel revascularization (TVR) were considered cardiac events. A FFR > or = 0.94 was regarded as an optimal functional result. RESULTS: A complete follow-up was available in all patents. Pre-interventional FFR increased from 0.66 +/- 0.16 to 0.95 +/- 0.05 (p < 0.0001) after stent implantation. Sixteen (18%) events occurred during follow-up including 10 (11.2%) TVR. Final FFR was significantly higher in patients without compared to patients with an event (0.92 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.96 +/- 0.05, p < 0.003). By univariate analysis, the presence of diabetes mellitus, left ventricular function, residual diameter stenosis and final FFR were associated with a worse clinical outcome. In the multivariate analysis, only the final FFR and left ventricular function remained as significant predictors for cardiac events (relative risk, 3.50; 95% CI: 1.29-9.52, P < 0.014, and 0.97; 95% CI: 0.93-1.00, p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate in a nonselected patient cohort a strong correlation between FFR values after coronary stenting and subsequent cardiac events. Further studies have to investigate whether outcome after stenting might be improved by guiding the procedure with a pressure guide wire.