Carotid angioplasty with stent placement under filter protection: experience with 1037 cases.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) technique was greatly improved withthe introduction of protection devices i.e. filters (PD).The aim of this report was to compare the results of protected versusunprotected stenting, performed before the PD availability.Among the 1037 CAS included in this report, 72 were carried outwithout PD between 1998 and 2000 and 965 with PD from 2001 to2006. The procedure was successfully completed in 97.3 % of thecases in the group without PD and in 99% in the other group. Transientand definitive neurological complications occurred respectivelyin 4.05 % and 5.5 % of stents without PD and in 3.2 % and 2.2 %of stents with PD.The cerebral complication rate was significantly diminished withthe introduction of PD, permitting CAS to become a safe treatmentoption in carotid artery occlusive disease.