Comparison of Inhospital Outcomes of Patients With Versus Without Previous Carotid Endarterectomy Undergoing Carotid Stenting (from the German ALKK CAS Registry)

Repeat carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for recurrent stenosis remains a challenging treatment option associated with high morbidity and mortality. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is an attractive alternative management option for these patients. However, data about the effectiveness and safety of CAS in a large number of unselected patients are less known. We evaluated 3,070 patients who underwent CAS enrolled in a German registry from 1996 to 2006 at 31 sites. We compared clinical and angiographic features and inhospital outcomes of patients with and without previous CEA who underwent CAS. Of 3,070 patients in the registry, 223 (7.3%) underwent CAS for restenosis after previous CEA. Median age was similar in patients with and without previous CEA (70 years, interquartile range 64 to 76 vs 71 years, interquartile range 65 to 76). Ipsilateral neurologic symptoms occurred in approximately 1/2 the patients in both groups. Other co-morbid conditions and angiographic or procedural factors did not differ between the 2 groups. Inhospital events including death (0% vs 0.4%), ipsilateral major stroke (1.4% vs 1.5%), death or major ipsilateral stroke (1.4% vs 1.7%), ipsilateral transient ischemic attack (1.9% vs 2.8%), myocardial infarction (0.4% vs 0.1%), and reintervention (0.7% vs 0.4%) were all low and not significantly different between those with and without previous CEA (p >0.05 for all comparisons). In conclusion, our data for a large number of patients who underwent CAS in a recent contemporary community-based practice attests to the low risk of periprocedural events in patients with recurrent stenosis after previous CEA. This low risk along with the less invasive nature of the procedure should make CAS an attractive and perhaps preferred option for the treatment of these patients.