Long-term results of elective stenting for severe carotid artery stenosis in Taiwan

Stenting for severe carotid stenosis has been proposed as an alternative for patients with high surgical risk for endarterectomy, but its effectiveness and safety has never been evaluated in large case series in a pure Asian population. One hundred and eighteen ethnic Chinese patients (mean age 72.8 years) with 129 severely narrowed carotid arteries were stented electively using self-expanding stents. The mean pre-treatment diameter stenosis was 85% and final residual diameter stenosis 14%. The peri-procedural stroke and death rate was 4.2%. One (0.8%) late ischemic stroke and 2 (1.7%) deaths occurred during a mean follow-up of 16.3 months, and the restenosis rate was 3.1%. Carotid stenting, therefore, can be done safely and effectively in Chinese patients.