A multi-center study of the MicroNET-covered stent in consecutive patients with acute carotid-related stroke: SAFEGUARD-STROKE.

Introduction: Acute carotid-related stroke (CRS), with its large thrombo-embolic load and large volume of affected brain tissue, poses significant management challenges. First generation (single-layer) carotid stents fail to insulate the athero-thrombotic material; thus they are often non-optimized (increasing thrombosis risk), yet their use is associated with a significant (20-30%) risk of new cerebral embolism. Aim: To evaluate, in a multi-center multi-specialty investigator-initiated study, outcomes of the MicroNET-covered (cell area ≈ 0.02-0.03 mm2) carotid stent (CGuard, InspireMD) in consecutive CRS patients eligible for emergency recanalization. Treatment, other than study device use, was according to center/operator routine. Material and methods: Seventy-five patients (age 40-89 years, 26.7% women) were enrolled in 7 interventional stroke centers. Results: The median Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) was 9 (6-10). Study stent use was 100% (no other stent types implanted); retrograde strategy predominated (69.2%) in tandem lesions. Technical success was 100%. Post-dilatation balloon diameter was 4.0 to 8.0 mm. 89% of patients achieved final modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2b-c/3. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use as intraarterial (IA) bolus + intravenous (IV) infusion was an independent predictor of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (OR = 13.9, 95% CI: 5.1-84.5, p < 0.001). The mortality rate was 9.4% in-hospital and 12.2% at 90 days. Ninety-day mRS0-2 was 74.3%, mRS3-5 13.5%; stent patency was 93.2%. Heparin-limited-to-flush predicted patency loss on univariate (OR = 14.3, 95% CI: 1.5-53.1, p < 0.007) but not on multivariate analysis. Small-diameter balloon/absent post-dilatation was an independent predictor of stent patency loss (OR = 15.2, 95% CI: 5.7-73.2, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This largest to-date study of the MicroNET-covered stent in consecutive CRS patients demonstrated a high acute angiographic success rate, high 90-day patency and favorable clinical outcomes despite variability in procedural strategies and pharmacotherapy (SAFEGUARD-STROKE NCT05195658).

The use of near-infrared spectroscopy in the diagnosis of peripheral artery disease: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease is a stenosis or occlusion of peripheral arteries that results in compromised blood flow and muscle ischemia. The available diagnostic methods are mostly used to measure and visualize blood flow and are not useful in the evaluation of perfusion, especially in diabetic patients, which is now considered to be a research priority by most of the vascular societies around the world as this is still a relatively poorly studied phenomenon. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to explore the clinical significance of muscle tissue oxygenation monitoring in lower-extremity peripheral artery disease diagnosis using the near-infrared spectroscopy method. METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases was performed to identify clinical near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) studies in English and Russian, published until September 2019, involving muscle tissue oxygenation in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The manuscripts were reviewed by two researchers independently and scored on the quality of the research using MINORS criteria. RESULTS: After screening 443 manuscripts, 23 studies (n = 1580) were included. NIRS-evaluated recovery time seems to be more accurate than ankle-brachial index in diabetic patients to differentiate between moderate and severe claudication. Consistent findings across all the included studies showed that both the oxygenation and deoxygenation rates as well as the recovery times varied from patient to patient and therefore were not suitable for standardization. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical relevance of routine use of NIRS to diagnose PAD is unproven; therefore, its use is not currently part of standard-of-care for patients with PAD since the absolute values seem to vary significantly, depending on the outside conditions. More data need to be provided on the possible use of NIRS monitoring intraoperatively where the conditions can be more controlled.

[Risk of stroke and death after carotid endarterectomy]. / Galvos smegenu insulto ir mirties rizika po vidines miegoarterijos endarterektomijos.

OBJECTIVE: The benefit of carotid endarterectomy is highly dependent on surgical risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of stroke and death after carotid endarterectomy, risk factors for poor outcomes, and importance of surgeon's competence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 790 carotid endarterectomies performed in the Vilnius University Emergency Hospital between 1995 and 2006 were analyzed. Risk factors, neurological symptoms, comorbidities, radiologic and angiographic findings, morbidity and mortality, experience and volume of a vascular surgeon were prospectively recorded in a database. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Among the 790 cases studied, in-hospital mortality was 2.2%, and stroke morbidity was 2.4%. Postoperative complications were more common in patients with diabetes mellitus than without (12% vs. 3.4%, P<0.001) and in patients with any stroke than in patients with nonspecific symptoms (10.7% vs. 1.4%, P<0.02). The postoperative stroke rate was 10% for a surgeon who performed <6 carotid endarterectomies per year and 4.6% for a surgeon who performed ≥6 carotid endarterectomies (P=0.02). In the multivariate logistic regression, combined mortality and stroke was independently predicted by diabetes mellitus (OR, 3.51; 95% CI, 1.60-7.66; P=0.002), any stroke (OR, 4.14; 95% CI, 1.57-10.91; P=0.004), and low-volume surgeon (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13-0.78; P=0.013). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed an overall predicting value of 0.72. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus, any stroke, and low-volume vascular surgeon were significant predictors for poor outcome after carotid endarterectomy.