Incidence of Asymptomatic Intracranial Embolic Events After Pulmonary Vein Isolation: Comparison of Different Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Technologies in a Multicenter Study

Background and Purpose— Against the background of a relatively low rate of clinical events during carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is increasingly being used to compare the incidence of new ischemic lesions after both procedures. In addition, DWI may also provide a means of defining the role of different CAS techniques on this adverse outcome. Therefore, we performed a PubMed search and systematically analyzed all peer-reviewed studies published between January 1990 and June 2007 reporting on the occurrence of new DWI lesions after CAS or CEA. Summary of Review— In 32 studies comprising 1363 CAS and 754 CEA procedures, the incidence of any new DWI lesion was significantly higher after CAS (37%) than after CEA (10%) (P<0.01). Similar results were obtained in a meta-analysis focusing on those studies directly comparing the incidence of new DWI lesions after either CEA or CAS (OR, 6.1; 95% CI, 4.19 to 8.87; P<0.01). The use of cerebral p...

New brain lesions after carotid stenting versus carotid endarterectomy: a systematic review of the literature

Microembolization During Carotid Artery Stenting in Patients With High-Risk, Lipid-Rich Plaque A Randomized Trial of Proximal Versus Distal Cerebral Protection

Purpose:To compare through a systematic review of published literature the stroke outcomes in protected and unprotected carotid artery stenting (CAS).Methods:PubMed and Cochrane electronic databases were queried to identify peer-reviewed publications from 1995 to 2007 meeting our pre-defined criteria for inclusion (English language, human only, at least 20 patients reported) and exclusion (procedures performed for the treatment of total occlusion, dissection, or aneurysmal disease; urgently performed procedures; use of covered stents; access other than transfemoral). Information was collected on a standardized data abstraction form for pooled analysis of total strokes within 30 days of procedure in all patients and in symptomatic and asymptomatic subgroups. A random effects meta-analysis of studies with concurrently reported data on protected and unprotected CAS was performed.Results:Initial database query resulted in 2485 articles, of which 134 were included in the final analyses (12,263 protected CAS pa...

Cerebral Protection Devices Reduce Periprocedural Strokes during Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature

Objectives This study sought to evaluate the feasibility of the CGuard Carotid Embolic Protective Stent system—a novel thin strut nitinol stent combined with a polyethylene terephthalate mesh covering designed to prevent embolic events from the target lesion in the treatment of carotid artery lesions in consecutive patients suitable for carotid artery stenting. Background The risk of cerebral embolization persists throughout the carotid artery stenting procedure and remains during the stent healing period. Methods A total of 30 consecutive patients (age 71.6 ± 7.6 years, 63% male) meeting the conventional carotid artery stenting inclusion criteria were enrolled in 4 centers in Germany and Poland. Results The primary combined endpoint was the procedure success of the CGuard system and the number and volume of new lesions on the ipsilateral side assessed by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging at 48 h post-procedure and at 30 days. The secondary endpoint was 30-day major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (death, stroke, or myocardial infarction). Protection devices were used in all procedures. Procedure success was 100%, with 0% procedural complications. The 30-day major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events rate was 0%. New ipsilateral ischemic lesions at 48 h occurred in 37.0% of patients and the average lesion volume was 0.039 ± 0.08 cm3. The 30-day diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed complete resolution of all but 1 periprocedural lesion and only 1 new minor (0.116 cm3) lesion in relation to the 48-h scan. Conclusions The use of the CGuard system in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting is feasible. In addition, the benefit of using CGuard may extend throughout the stent healing period.

A Prospective, Multicenter Study of a Novel Mesh-Covered Carotid Stent: The CGuard CARENET Trial (Carotid Embolic Protection Using MicroNet)

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and clinical relevance of microembolism in one hundred unselected patients submitted to 50 carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and 50 carotid stenting (CAS) procedures from January 2005 to January 2006 for hemodynamic lesions of the carotid bifurcation (> 70% stenosis). Material and methods: High-resolution Colour-Flow Mapping (CFM), Transcranial Doppler (TCD), cerebral computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) and four psychometric tests (Mini mental state, Beck depression inventory, Zung anxiety inventory, SF-12) were carried out in the preoperative evaluation in all the patients. In the cEAs loco-regional anesthesia (100%), patch angioplasty (84%) and Pruitt-Inahara shunt (4%) were employed; in the CASs local anesthesia (100%), three different carotid stents (Precise-Cordis, Acculink-Guidant and Carotid Wallstent-Boston Scientific) and three temporary distal filter protection devices (Angioguard-Cordis, Accunet-Guidant, Filterwire-EZ-Boston ...

F Faccenna

Papers

Embolism to the brain during carotid stenting and surgery.