Combined endovascular and open surgery for four-vessel cerebrovascular occlusive disease

To report a case of bilateral simultaneous percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting of the intracranial vertebral arteries prior to staged bilateral carotid endarterectomy.

A 68-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of recurrent, intermittent left-sided weakness and diplopia. Imaging defined bilateral 80% to 99% internal carotid artery stenoses and >90% stenoses of both distal vertebral arteries at the level of the foramen magnum. Bilateral intracranial vertebral artery stenting was performed, followed by staged carotid endarterectomies. No complications occurred, and the patient recovered uneventfully from all 3 procedures. He remains symptom- and event-free 20 months later.

Our initial success in this case indicates a role for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting as an alternative to open surgery for intracranial vertebral artery stenosis.