Carotid angioplasty and stent placement for restenosis after endarterectomy

Recurrent carotid stenosis following endarterectomy is a common complication, and reoperation may be associated with increased morbidity. The goal of this study was to determine the procedural safety and long-term complication rates of carotid angioplasty and stenting for recurrent stenosis.

Of 248 consecutive carotid angioplasty and/or stenting procedures performed at our institution between March 1996 and November 2005, 83 procedures for recurrent stenosis following endarterectomy were performed in 75 patients (mean age 68 years; 43 men, 32 women) without cerebral protection devices. The patients' medical records were retrospectively reviewed for vascular imaging reports and available clinical follow-up. Procedural and long-term complication rates were calculated.

Recurrent stenosis was reduced from a mean of 80.6% to no significant stenosis in 82 of 83 procedures. The procedural stroke rate was 3 out of 83 procedures (3.6%). The procedural transient ischemic attack (TIA) rate was 2 out of 83 procedures (2.4%). Mean follow-up was 22.4 months (range 0.1 to 86.7 months) with at least 6 months follow-up for 54 of 83 procedures (65%). There were five TIAs and no strokes on follow-up (new TIAs at 25.5 and 43.4 months; recurrent TIAs at 1, 11.1, and 12 months, all with normal angiograms). The composite 30-day stroke, myocardial infarction, or death rate was 5 of 83 procedures (6.0%).

In this series, angioplasty and stenting were effective in relieving stenosis secondary to recurrent carotid disease after endarterectomy, and have low rates of ischemic complications.