Stenting for extracranial stenotic lesions of carotid and vertebral arteries

We evaluated the feasibility of stenting in four patients. Two cases were vertebral osteal stenosis and the others were carotid stenosis at high position with ulcers. We placed balloon expandable coronary stents by a bared stent technique. The mean preprocedural stenosis (86.58%) was reduced to 13.05%. Patients were examined clinically and angiographically at 1,3 and 6 months after stenting. There was no minor nor major stroke during and after the procedures. Asymptomatic restenosis occurred in the cases of proximal vertebral arteries. One of these patients needed to repeat balloon dilatation. There were no angiographic restenoses in the location of stenting in the carotid artery. In the treatment for atherosclerotic stenoses, stent placement is a feasible and safe method. However restenosis in a vertebral osteal lesion should be carefully followed after stent placement.