Embolic protection device useful post carotid artery stenting

(HealthDay)—For patients with carotid stenosis, use of an embolic protection device is associated with reduced risk for in-hospital stroke or death, major stroke or death, and stroke after carotid artery stenting, according to a study published in the June 26 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Christoph Knappich, M.D., from the Technical University of Munich, and colleagues examined the correlation between intraprocedural and periprocedural variables and outcomes after 13,086 carotid artery stenting procedures for asymptomatic (63.9 percent) or symptomatic carotid stenosis between 2009 and 2014.

The researchers found that the primary outcome of in-hospital stroke or death occurred in 2.4 percent of the population (1.7 percent in asymptomatic and 3.7 percent in symptomatic patients). An independent correlation was identified between use of an embolic protection device and lower in-hospital rates of stroke or death, major stroke or death, and stroke (adjusted relative risks, 0.65 [95 percent confidence interval (CI), 0.50 to 0.85], 0.60 [95 percent CI, 0.43 to 0.84], and 0.57 [95 percent CI, 0.43 to 0.77], respectively). No significant correlation was seen for in-hospital death (adjusted relative risk, 0.78 [95 percent CI, 0.46 to 1.35]). There were no correlations noted for any outcomes with stent design, stent material, neurophysiological monitoring, or antiplatelet medication.

"The use of an embolic protection device was independently associated with lower in-hospital risk for stroke or death, major stroke or death, and stroke," the authors write.