BACKGROUND: Stroke remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil. Epidemiological data suggest that 10% to 30% of all strokes are due to atherosclerotic carotid artery disease and 8% due to vertebral artery disease. Endovascular treatment of extracranial lesions is an alternative to endarterectomy. We evaluated the results and predictors of adverse events in patients undergoing carotid and vertebral artery stenting. METHODS: Asymptomatic patients with lesion > 70% or symptomatic patients with lesions > 50% in carotid arteries and symptomatic patients with lesion > 70% in vertebral arteries were included. We evaluated the primary endpoint, defined as the composite incidence of death (procedural or non-procedural), major stroke, minor stroke or myocardial infarction (MI). RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-four interventions with stenting were performed in 199 consecutive patients with a prevalence of males (73.9%), 69.8 ± 9.9 years of age and 37.7% were diabetics. Symptomatic patients represented about two thirds of the cases and the most commonly treated lesions were de novo lesions (96.4%). The left (46%) and right (44.6%) internal carotid arteries were the most commonly approached vessels. Composite primary endpoint was observed in 5% of the patients, procedure-related mortality in 1%, non-procedure related mortality in 1%, minor stroke in 1.5% and MI in 1.5%. Patients with a history of coronary artery disease had a 4-fold probability of presenting the primary endpoint [odds ratio (OR) 4.32, 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) 1.09-17.21); P = 0.038]. CONCLUSIONS: In our study we obtained a high success rate and had a low rate of adverse events, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of percutaneous stent implantation in the carotid and vertebral arteries.
Stroke; Carotid arteries; Carotid stenosis; Angioplasty; Stents
