Protected Carotid Stenting in High-Risk Patients With Severe Carotid Artery Stenosis

Transcription

1 Journal of the American College of Cardiology Vol. 47, No. 12, by the American College of Cardiology Foundation ISSN /06/$32.00 Published by Elsevier Inc. doi: /j.jacc Protected Carotid Stenting in High-Risk Patients With Severe Carotid Artery Stenosis Interventional Cardiology Robert D. Safian, MD,* John F. Bresnahan, MD, Michael R. Jaff, DO, Malcolm Foster, MD, J. Michael Bacharach, MD, Brijeshwar Maini, MD, Mark Turco, MD,# Subbarao Myla, MD,** Gustav Eles, MD, Gary M. Ansel, MD, on behalf of the CREATE Pivotal Trial Investigators Royal Oak, Michigan; Rochester, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Washington, DC; Newport Beach, California; and Columbus, Ohio OBJECTIVES BACKGROUND METHODS RESULTS CONCLUSIONS The purpose of this study was to determine the safety of carotid artery stenting with a unique distal embolic protection system in high-risk patients with severe carotid stenosis. Previous studies suggest that some patients with carotid stenosis and serious comorbid conditions are at high risk for carotid endarterectomy, and may be safely treated by carotid artery stenting. A prospective non-randomized multicenter registry of 419 patients with severe carotid stenosis and high-risk features for carotid endarterectomy was conducted between April 2004 and October Carotid artery stenting was performed with the Protégé Self-Expanding Nitinol Stent and the SPIDER Embolic Protection System (ev3 Inc., Plymouth, Minnesota). Aspirin and clopidogrel were prescribed at least 24 h before and three months after revascularization. The primary outcome was the combined incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at 30 days after intervention, including death, stroke, and myocardial infarction. A secondary outcome was the technical success, defined as successful deployment of all devices, filter retrieval, and final diameter stenosis 50%. Technical success was achieved in 408 of 419 patients (97.4%). The primary end point was observed in 26 patients (6.2%), including death in 8 (1.9%), nonfatal stroke in 14 (3.3%), and nonfatal myocardial infarction in 4 (1%). Independent predictors of death or stroke at 30 days included duration of filter deployment, symptomatic carotid stenosis, and baseline renal insufficiency. For some patients with severe carotid stenosis and high-risk features for carotid endarterectomy, carotid artery stenting with distal embolic protection is a reasonable alternative for revascularization. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2006;47:2384 9) 2006 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is emerging as a reasonable therapeutic alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for some patients with severe carotid artery stenosis who are at high risk for surgery based on the presence of concomitant See page 2397 severe cardiovascular, pulmonary, and cerebrovascular diseases (1). Although several studies have evaluated the use of self-expanding stents and distal embolic protection systems in high-risk patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic From the *William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, New York; Baptist Heart Institute, Nashville, Tennessee; North Central Heart Hospital of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Pinnacle Health at Harrisburg Hospital, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; #Washington Adventist Hospital, Washington, DC; **Hoag Memorial Hospital, Newport Beach, California; Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. This study was funded by an educational research grant from ev3 Inc. (Plymouth, Minnesota), which was also responsible for data collection, data analysis, and manuscript review. The investigators for the CREATE pivotal trial are listed in Appendix. Manuscript received October 18, 2005; revised manuscript received November 29, 2005, accepted December 5, carotid stenosis, the results of these high-risk registries have not yet been published. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of carotid artery revascularization using a unique stent and distal embolic protection system. METHODS The Carotid Revascularization with ev3 Arterial Technology Evolution (CREATE) pivotal trial was approved by the institutional review boards at each of the 32 participating institutions (Appendix), and was in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Interventional operators were required to submit a written statement documenting performance of at least 30 successful CAS procedures, before participation in this study. Study design and end points. This study was a prospective multicenter registry of CAS in high-risk patients with severe carotid stenosis. The primary end point of the study was the composite of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) at 30 days after revascularization, defined as the occurrence of death, ipsilateral stroke,

2 JACC Vol. 47, No. 12, 2006 June 20, 2006: Safian et al. Carotid Stenting in High-Risk Patients 2385 Abbreviations and Acronyms ACAS Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study ACST Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial ARCHeR Acculink for Revascularization of Carotids in High-Risk Patients trial CAS carotid artery stenting CEA carotid endarterectomy CI confidence interval CREATE Carotid Revascularization with ev3 Arterial Technology Evolution trial ECST European Carotid Surgery Trial MACCE major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events MI myocardial infarction NASCET North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial OR odds ratio SAPPHIRE Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy Investigation trial SECURITY Registry Study to Evaluate the Neuroshield Bare Wire Cerebral Protection System and X-Act Stent in Patients at High Risk for Carotid Endarterectomy procedure-related contralateral stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI). Strokes were further classified as major or minor strokes based on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the Rankin Score, and the Barthel Index (Appendix). Myocardial infarction was defined as any elevation of creatine kinase more than three times the upper limit of normal, and elevation of cardiac isoenzymes, with or without associated electrocardiographic changes. The secondary end point was technical success, defined as successful deployment and retrieval of the distal protection device system, successful stent deployment, and final diameter stenosis 50%. Patient eligibility and study requirements. The major eligibility criteria are described in Table 1. Patients with suspected cervical carotid stenosis generally underwent carotid artery duplex ultrasound evaluation, but criteria for stenosis severity were defined angiographically. Patients who met all general inclusion criteria, one or more high-risk inclusion criteria (Table 2), and none of the exclusion criteria (Table 3) were considered for participation in this Table 1. Major Eligibility Criteria Stenosis 50%* in common or internal carotid artery (symptomatic patients) Stenosis 70%* in common or internal carotid artery (asymptomatic patients) Target vessel diameter 4.5 to 9.5 mm for stent Internal carotid artery diameter 3 to 7 mm for SPIDER device Tolerate aspirin, clopidogrel or ticlopidine, and heparin Age 18 yrs Must meet high-risk criteria for high-risk patients Must comply with follow-up and provide informed consent *Stenosis severity was defined using North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) criteria (3); symptomatic refers to hemispheric transient ischemic attack or stroke within six months of carotid artery stenting. Table 2. High-Risk Inclusion Criteria Anatomical criteria Contralateral carotid artery occlusion Tandem stenoses 70% High cervical or infraclavicular carotid artery stenosis Restenosis after carotid endarterectomy Bilateral carotid artery stenosis requiring treatment Hostile neck* Clinical criteria Age 75 yrs 2-vessel coronary artery disease and history of angina Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina class 3 to 4 or unstable angina New York Heart Association congestive heart failure class 3 to 4 Left ventricular ejection fraction 35% Myocardial infarction within 6 weeks Severe pulmonary disease Permanent contralateral cranial nerve injury *Defined as prior neck irradiation, radical neck dissection, cervical spine immobility, tracheostomy; defined as the need for home oxygen, po 2 60 on room air, or forced expiratory volume at 1 s 50% predicted. study. Written informed consent was obtained in all patients according to protocols approved by the institutional review boards at each institution. Patients underwent evaluation by an independent neurologist or approved surrogate before and during intervention, before hospital discharge, and at 30 days. Patients with persistent neurological deficits after CAS underwent imaging of the brain with computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. All clinical events were reviewed and adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee. Methodology for monitoring cardiac enzymes, blood counts, renal function, and antiplatelet therapy have been described previously (2). After CAS, patients were treated with aspirin (325 mg daily or 81 mg daily if they were Table 3. Exclusion Criteria Clinical criteria Atrial fibrillation (chronic or paroxysmal) not treated by warfarin Bleeding requiring blood transfusion within one month of intervention CABG or vascular surgery within 30 days before or after intervention Life expectancy 12 months Intolerance to heparin, aspirin, and both clopidogrel and ticlopidine No femoral arterial access MI within 72 h Prior stent of target carotid artery Major residual neurological deficit at pre-procedure neurological exam TIA or amaurosis fugax within 48 h CVA or retinal embolus within 1 month, with any major neurological deficit Allergy to nickel or titanium Allergy to radiographic contract that cannot be pre-treated WBC 3,000/mm 3, PLT 50,000/mm 3 or 700,000/mm 3 Intracranial tumor Angiographic criteria Target vessel is occluded Ostium of common carotid artery requires revascularization Tandem lesions that cannot be covered by one stent Ipsilateral intracranial stenosis requiring revascularization Intracranial AVM or aneurysm requiring treatment AVM arteriovenous malformation; CABG coronary artery bypass graft surgery; CVA cerebrovascular accident; MI myocardial infarction (defined as elevated creatine kinase more than three times normal and elevated MB fraction); PLT platelet count; TIA transient ischemic attack; WBC white blood cell count.

3 2386 Safian et al. JACC Vol. 47, No. 12, 2006 Carotid Stenting in High-Risk Patients June 20, 2006: taking warfarin, and clopidogrel 75 mg daily) for three months. Details of the angiographic procedure and deployment of the SPIDER Embolic Protection System and the Protégé GPS Self-Expanding Nitinol Stent (ev3 Inc., Plymouth Minnesota) have been described previously (2). Unlike other distal protection devices, the Capture Wire in the SPIDER system is not used to cross the target lesion. Instead, the operator may select an independent guidewire to cross the target lesion and access the distal carotid artery, which may increase the opportunity for successful crossing. Data acquisition, study oversight, and statistical methods. Angiographic and ultrasound data were acquired by independent core laboratory analyses. All adverse events were evaluated by an independent clinical events committee; were categorized as being related to the investigational devices, the procedure, or not; and were reported to an independent data and safety monitoring committee. Data are reported as mean ( SD) for continuous variables and frequency for categorical variables. Univariate analysis by logistic regression (Version 9.1, SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina) was performed on 35 variables to identify correlates of death or stroke within 30 days. Those variables with p 0.20 were entered into a multiple logistic regression model to identify independent predictors of outcome, and odds ratios (OR) for these variables were expressed with 95% confidence Table 4. Baseline Patient Demographic Characteristics (n 419 Patients) Age (yrs) Men:women 61:39 Diabetes (%) 31.3 Hypertension (%) 90.0 Chronic renal failure* (%) 19.1 Prior MI (%) 30.1 Prior PCI or CABG (%) 52.3 Prior TIA or CVA (%) 38.0 Prior CEA (%) 29.4 Symptomatic carotid stenosis (%) 17.4 High-risk criteria (%) 1 criterion criteria criteria 11.4 Age 75 yrs 50 Angina class 3 to 4 4 Ejection fraction 35% 10 Multivessel CAD and angina 14 Severe pulmonary disease 4 Hostile neck 14 CEA restenosis 24 Contralateral occlusion 10 Bilateral carotid stenosis 10 Clinical criteria alone 76.3 Anatomical criteria alone 52.7 Both clinical and anatomic criteria 29.1 *Chronic renal failure was defined as baseline serum creatinine 1.5 mg/dl, permanent dialysis, or prior renal transplantation; hostile neck was defined as cervical scarring associated with prior injury due to radiation therapy or surgery, cervical immobility, or high carotid stenosis not amenable to CEA; bilateral carotid stenosis requiring revascularization. CABG coronary artery bypass graft surgery; CAD coronary artery disease; CEA carotid endarterectomy; CVA cerebrovascular accident; MI myocardial infarction; PCI percutaneous coronary intervention; TIA transient ischemic attack. Table 5. Baseline Angiographic Results Lesion location (%) Common carotid artery 5.6 Internal carotid artery 75.2 Both 19.1 Lesion morphology (%) Eccentric 76.2 Calcified 50.2 Ulcerated 39.1 Thrombus 1.6 Irregular 67.6 Quantitative angiography Proximal vessel diameter (mm) Distal vessel diameter (mm) Vessel diameter at filter site (mm) Lesion length (mm) Diameter stenosis (mm) * *After carotid artery stenting, final diameter stenosis was %. intervals (CI). Values of p 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS Patient characteristics and high-risk inclusion criteria. Baseline demographics and high-risk characteristics of the 419 patients are shown in Table 4. High-risk anatomical criteria were present in 221 (52.7%), high-risk clinical criteria in 319 (76.3%), and both high-risk anatomical and clinical criteria were present in 122 patients (29.1%). Two or more high-risk criteria were present in 217 patients (51.7%). The three most frequent criteria for inclusion were age 75 years, multivessel coronary artery disease, and recurrent stenosis after prior CEA. Baseline angiographic characteristics are shown in Table 5. Procedural and 30-day outcomes. Technical success (the secondary end point of the study) was achieved in 408 of 419 patients (97.4%), and grossly visible debris was observed in the SPIDER filter in 151 patients (36%) (Tables 6 and 7). Technical failure occurred in 11 patients (2.6%), and was due to final residual stenosis of 50% to 60% in 2 patients and failure to deploy the SPIDER Capture Wire in 9 patients (no intervention was performed in 6 patients and a stent was deployed without distal protection in 3 patients) due to anatomic limitations such as vessel tortuosity and calcification. The primary end point (MACCE) occurred in 26 patients (6.2%), and included death in 8 (1.9%), nonfatal stroke in 14 (3.3%), and MI in 4 (1%; non ST-segment elevation MI in 3, ST-segment elevation MI in 1). Among the eight patients who died within 30 days, causes of death were fatal stroke in five patients (1.2%), due to intracranial hemorrhage in four and thromboembolic stroke in one; non ST-segment elevation MI, access site hemorrhage, compartment syndrome, and multisystem failure in one; progressive hypotension and ventricular fibrillation in one; and development of a femoral artery pseudoaneurysm leading to lower extremity gangrene and multisystem failure in one (Table 7).

4 JACC Vol. 47, No. 12, 2006 June 20, 2006: Safian et al. Carotid Stenting in High-Risk Patients 2387 Table 6. Incidence of Adverse Events at 30 Days Events n (%) Any MACCE 26 (6.2) Death 8 (1.9) Stroke* 19 (4.5) Major 15 (3.5) Minor 4 (1.0) Ipsilateral 16 (3.8) Major 14 (3.3) Minor 2 (0.5) Contralateral 3 (0.7) Myocardial infarction 4 (1.0) ST-segment elevation 1 (0.3) Non ST-segment elevation 3 (0.7) Vasovagal/vasodepressor reaction 68 (16.2) Access site injury 14 (3.3) Gastrointestinal bleeding 7 (1.7) Stent thrombosis 0 Target vessel revascularization 0 Renal insufficiency 8 (1.9) *See the Appendix for definitions of stroke. MACCE major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, defined as death, stroke, or myocardial infarction within 30 days of intervention. Thus, there were a total of 19 strokes (4.5%) within 30 days of intervention, including fatal major stoke in five (4 hemorrhagic, 1 thromboembolic). The thromboembolic major stroke occurred immediately after a long CAS procedure requiring filter deployment for 50 min, and was further complicated by respiratory failure and death within 2 days (Table 7, Patient #4). All four hemorrhagic strokes occurred 4 to 28 days after CAS (Table 7, Patients #5 to #8), including one patient on day 28 after uncomplicated CAS, one patient with possible hyperperfusion syndrome 7 days after CAS, one patient on warfarin therapy who died 4 days after CAS despite emergency craniotomy, and one patient with cerebellar hemorrhage who died 14 days after a difficult CAS procedure (filter deployment for 43 min, failure to dilate the stent after deployment). Nonfatal stroke in 14 patients (3.3%) was classified as major stroke in 10 (2.3%) and minor stroke in 4 (1%); all patients with minor stroke and 4 patients with major stroke had no residual disability at 30 days after CAS (Table 7), including 1 patient who received intraarterial tissue-type plasminogen activator immediately after onset of neurological symptoms. Nonfatal strokes were due to thromboembolism in 13 patients and intracranial hemorrhage in 1 patient who received concomitant warfarin for deep venous thrombosis. Among the 10 thromboembolic major strokes (1 fatal, 9 nonfatal), 7 occurred during complex interventional procedures characterized by one or more of the following features: dissection of the internal carotid artery requiring multiple stents, prolonged ( 30 min) deployment of the SPIDER capture wire, and technical difficulty retrieving the capture wire. Intracranial hemorrhage occurred in five patients (1.3%) within 4 to 28 days of CAS, and none were associated with excessive procedural anticoagulation. Concomitant warfarin therapy was administered in two patients, and poorly controlled hypertension was observed in another patient. Other non-neurological events included vasovagal or vasodepressor reactions in 68 patients (16.2%), all treated by administration of intravenous fluids, atropine, and/or vasopressors; access site complications in 14 patients (3.3%); and minor gastrointestinal bleeding in 7 patients (1.7%). Predictors of outcome. Thirty-five clinical and anatomical variables were analyzed using a logistic regression to determine their association with death or stroke within 30 days of CAS. Factors associated with adverse outcome by univariate analysis included baseline renal insufficiency, symptomatic carotid stenosis, severe pulmonary disease, lesion calcification, absence of an anatomical high-risk feature, and duration of filter deployment. Whereas there was no difference in the duration of filter deployment in patients without stroke compared with those with minor stroke ( min vs min, p NS), patients with major stroke had significantly longer duration of filter deployment compared with patients without stroke ( min, p 0.004). When divided into four 10-min increments ( 10 min, 10 to 20 min, 21 to 30 min, 30 min), there was a significant relationship between duration of filter deployment and the risk of death and stroke (5.1%, 5.0%, 10.3%, and 10.8%, respectively; p 0.02). Using a forward stepwise multivariate analysis, independent predictors of death and/or stroke were symptomatic carotid stenosis (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.8, p 0.015), baseline renal insufficiency (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.9, p 0.015), and filter deployment time (p 0.035). DISCUSSION The standard of care for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with carotid artery stenoses has been established by the results of four large prospective randomized trials of medical therapy and CEA (North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial [NASCET], European Carotid Surgery Trial [ECST], Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study [ACAS], and Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial [ACST]) (3 6). These studies suggest that patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis 50% (NASCET and ECST) and asymptomatic carotid stenosis 70% (ACAS and ACST) have a significant reduction in the risk of ipsilateral stroke at five years after CEA compared with patients treated conservatively with aspirin. However, CEA is commonly performed in patients who would have been excluded from these randomized trials because of advanced age or the presence of serious comorbid medical conditions (7). In fact, the risk of perioperative death and stroke after CEA may be two- to four-fold higher in high-risk patients with serious cardiopulmonary disease compared with low-risk patients without such comorbidity (7). In a recent randomized trial of CEA and CAS with distal protection in high-risk patients (Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy Investigation [SAPPHIRE]) (1), more than half the

5 2388 Safian et al. JACC Vol. 47, No. 12, 2006 Carotid Stenting in High-Risk Patients June 20, 2006: Table 7. Summary of Major Adverse Events at 30 Days After CAS* Patient # Age Symptomatic High Risk Event Days Comment 1 85 Yes Age Death 25 FPSA, vascular occlusion, sepsis, MSF 2 84 Yes Age, EF, CEA Death 0 VDR, SVT, VT during CAS 3 80 Yes Age, CHF, CEA Death 17 FPSA, distal embolization to legs, compartment syndrome, NSTEMI, MSF 4 74 Yes HO 2 Death 2 MaS, respiratory failure during CAS; filter duration 50 min 5 67 Yes HO 2 Death 14 Unable to dilate stent, filter duration 43 min, VF, respiratory failure during CAS, pneumonia, cerebellar ICH on day No Age, HO 2 CEA 2 Death 28 Massive ICH on day No Angina class 4 Death 7 Severe HTN, ICH, possible HPPS 8 76 No Age, CEA Death 4 Filter duration 9 min, ICH after warfarin therapy; emergency craniotomy 9 85 No Age MaS 0 Filter duration 15 min, mild disability at 30 days No EF NSTEMI 1 VDR, no ECG changes No Age, CEA NSTEMI 2 GIB, no ECG changes Yes MVD, CEA STEMI 1 Uncomplicated CAS, RCA occlusion treated by stent No Age MaS 26 Multiple stents placed, severe disability at 30 days, stents patent No Hostile neck, CTO MiS 2 Posterior circulation, no disability at 30 days Yes Hostile neck MiS 0 Difficult SPIDER retrieval, no disability at 30 days No Age, CEA MiS 0 Contralateral MiS, no disability at 30 days No Age, MVD MiS 0 Contralateral MiS, no disability at 30 days Yes CEA, CTO, TL MaS 4 DVT after CAS on warfarin, ICH, moderate disability at 30 days No Age MaS 0 tpa, no disability at 30 days Yes Age MaS 0 Uncovered dissection distal to stent, no disability at 30 days Yes Age, MVD MaS 1 Distal dissection, multiple stents, filter duration 72 min, severe disability at 30 days No MVD, angina class 4 MaS 0 Multiple balloon inflations after stent, filter duration 30 min, no disability at 30 days No Age MaS 0 Distal dissection, multiple stents, VDR, respiratory failure, no disability at 30 days No Age MaS 0 Respiratory failure, acute abdomen, sepsis, emergency surgery, severe disability at 30 days Yes Age MiS 1 Unable to stent due to lesion calcification and angulation, no disability at 30 days Yes Age MaS 0 Difficulty recovering the filter, severe disability at 30 days *Symptomatic refers to symptomatic status of patient before carotid artery stenting (CAS), regarding transient ischemic attack or stroke; high-risk refers to the high-risk features of the patient before CAS; days refers to the time interval in days between CAS and the event. For patients with more than one event, the interval refers to the time until the worst major event. CEA restenosis after prior carotid endarterectomy; CHF New York Heart Association class 3 to 4 heart failure; CTO chronic total occlusion of the contralateral carotid artery; DVT deep venous thrombosis treated with intravenous heparin; ECG electrocardiogram; EF ejection fraction 35%; FPSA femoral artery pseudoaneurysm treated by thrombin injection; GIB gastrointestinal bleeding; Hostile neck cervical immobility or extensive cervical scarring due to prior radiation therapy or surgery, precluding carotid endarterectomy; HO 2 severe pulmonary disease requiring home oxygen; HPPS hyperperfusion syndrome; HTN hypertension; ICH intracranial hemorrhage; MaS major stroke; MiS minor stroke; MSF multisystem failure; MVD unrevascularized multivessel coronary artery disease and persistent angina; NSTEMI non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction; RCA right coronary artery; STEMI ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction; SVT supraventricular tachycardia; TL tandem lesions 70% in the target carotid artery; tpa intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator; VDR severe vasodepressor response requiring pressor support; VF ventricular fibrillation; VT ventricular tachycardia. patients who were screened were considered too high risk for CEA, and underwent CAS as part of a high-risk non-randomized registry. The results of this high-risk registry have not yet been published, but these patients have a higher risk profile than those in the randomized trial. Among high-risk patients who were considered satisfactory candidates for both revascularization procedures, CAS was associated with a 56% reduction in perioperative death, stroke, and MI compared with CEA, and a 39% reduction in death and ipsilateral stroke at one year (1). The 6.2% risk of death, stroke, and MI in our high-risk registry is higher than the 5.8% risk reported in the SAPPHIRE stent arm, but lower than the 7.6% to 8.5% risk in Acculink for Revascularization of Carotids in High-Risk Patients (ARCHER) trial (phases 1, 2, and 3) and the 8.5% risk in Registry Study to Evaluate the Neuroshield Bare Wire Cerebral Protection System and X-Act Stent in Patients at High Risk for Carotid Endarterectomy (SECURITY) (8,9). In addition, the risk of periprocedural death and stroke after CAS was 5.2% in our high-risk patients, which is similar to the 5.6% risk of death and stroke after CEA in symptomatic low-risk patients (10), but higher than the 3% threshold of perioperative death and stroke established by the American Heart Association for CEA in asymptomatic low-risk patients (11). Because carotid artery revascularization is most often recommended to prevent stroke in asymptomatic patients, the risk of neurological complications after CAS is particularly important. The 4.5% risk of stroke in this study was lower than the 6.9% risk in the SECURITY trial (9), and

6 JACC Vol. 47, No. 12, 2006 June 20, 2006: Safian et al. Carotid Stenting in High-Risk Patients 2389 was similar to the 4.4% to 5.5% risk in the ARCHER studies (8). The 3.5% risk of major stroke in this study was slightly higher than the 2.6% risk in the SECURITY trial and the 1.1% to 1.4% risk in the ARCHER studies, and these differences may be due to differences in clinical or angiographic characteristics, differences in the definition of major stroke, or chance. It is unlikely that these differences are due to the larger pore size of the SPIDER filter, because the risk of major stroke was 1.9% in the study of the rapid-exchange version of the SPIDER filter (12). Furthermore, although distal embolic protection devices have been widely accepted as necessary adjuncts during CAS, failures may be due to the inability to deliver the device, deviceinduced complications such as vessel dissection, and incomplete capture or retrieval of debris leading to acute stroke; all of these complications were observed in this study. However, the clustering of strokes after prolonged and complex interventional procedures, and the relationship between filter deployment duration and stroke, suggests that some adverse events may be potentially avoidable by careful patient selection. Duration of filter deployment may be a marker for complex arch and carotid artery anatomy (type C arch, severe carotid artery tortuosity), because these anatomical features often add to procedural complexity. Because these features are often found in the elderly, they may partially explain why advanced age was reported as a high-risk feature in another registry of low-risk patients (13). The observation of intracranial hemorrhage in 1.3% of patients raises some concern. Concomitant administration of warfarin and dual antiplatelet therapy may predispose elderly patients to serious bleeding complications, including intracranial hemorrhage. Because similar rates of early intracranial hemorrhage have not been reported in coronary stent patients receiving concomitant warfarin and dual antiplatelet therapy, it is possible that hyperperfusion may play an incremental role. Further study is needed. Although neurological complications are the most devastating, the most common complications are vasovagal or vasodepressor responses, possibly due to stretching the carotid baroreceptor during balloon inflation and stent deployment. These complications occurred in nearly 20% of our patients, and were readily managed with intravenous fluids, atropine, and vasopressors in most patients. However, patients with poor myocardial reserve due to severe left ventricular dysfunction may be poorly tolerant of hypotension, so prompt and effective treatment is appropriate. In conclusion, in some patients with severe carotid stenosis and high-risk features for CEA, revascularization with CAS and distal embolic protection is a safe and reasonable alternative to CEA. In high-risk patients with renal insufficiency or complex anatomy of the aortic arch and carotid artery, in whom prolonged filter deployment may be anticipated, the risk of stroke after CAS may be higher, and the best therapy in these patients is unknown. Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Robert D. Safian, Cardiac and Vascular Intervention, William Beaumont Hospital, Heart Center-3rd Floor, Royal Oak, Michigan rsafian@beaumont.edu. REFERENCES 1. Yadav JS, Wholey MH, Kuntz RE, et al. Protected carotid-artery stenting versus endarterectomy in high-risk patients. 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Carotid artery stenting is associated with increased complications in octogenarians: 30-day stroke and death rates in the CREST lead-in phase. J Vasc Surg 2004;30: APPENDIX For a list of the investigating institutions, principal investigators, and number of patients enrolled, as well as the definitions of major and minor stroke after CAS, please see the online version of this article.