Routine Use of Cerebral Protection (Filter Wire) During Carotid Artery Stenting: Results of a Single Center Registry of 37 Patients

Objective/background: to evaluate the short-term outcome of patients who underwent carotidstenting with the routine use of cerebral protection devices.patients and methods: in our center, 36 successful carotid stenting procedures (of 38 attempted)were performed in 37 patients (23 men; aged 66 plus-minus 7 years). cerebral protection involveddistal filter devices (n= 36) of which 12 were accunet and 24 were ez filter wires.results: the protection devices were positioned successfully in 36 of the 38 attempted vessels.the 30-day incidence of stroke and neurological death was three. neurological complicationsincluded one major stroke, and one minor stroke. there was also one (sudden cardiacdeath on the first day). the proportion of stroke or death was two for symptomatic lesionsand one for asymptomatic lesions, and two in patients aged <80 years and one in those aged.80 years. protection device-related vascular complications included mild spasm, which occurredafter three procedures (8%), none of which led to neurological symptoms. there wereanother four cardiogenic deaths in 30-day follow-up.conclusion: in this uncontrolled study, routine cerebral protection during carotid artery stentingwas technically feasible and clinically safe. the incidence of major neurological complicationsin this study was lower than in previous reports of carotid artery stenting without cerebralprotection.