Cor Vasa 2009, 51(4):255-259 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2009.064

Implantation of stents into significant carotid artery stenoses using the FilterWire EZ^TM system

Josef Veselka^1,*, Petra Zimolová¹, Pavel Stanka¹, Lucie Martinkovičová¹, Daniela Černá¹, Jiří Fiedler¹, Petr Hájek¹, Martin Malý¹, David Zemánek¹, Radka Adlová¹, David Tesař², Aleš Tomek³, Martin Šrámek³

¹ Kardiologické oddělení, Kardiovaskulární centrum, Fakultní nemocnice v Motole a 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy

² Klinika zobrazovacích metod

³ Neurologická klinika, Fakultní nemocnice v Motole a 2. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy, Praha, Česká republika

Objectives: To report on the early outcomes of a prospective single-center registry, which evaluated the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of carotid artery stenting using the FilterWire EZ^TM Embolic Protection System in high-risk patients.

Methods: Between September 2005 and November 2008, 185 consecutive patients (70±9 years, 34% symptomatic, 87% at high risk) underwent 226 carotid artery stenting procedures with the FilterWire EZ^TM Embolic Protection System and different carotid stents. This study included both symptomatic (≥50% carotid artery stenosis) as well as asymptomatic (≥70% carotid artery stenosis) patients. The primary endpoint was the rate of 30-day adverse events, defined as neurological death, stroke or postprocedural myocardial infarction.

Results: We implanted 230 stents, carotid artery stenoses before and after direct carotid artery stenting were 82±10% and 10±13%, respectively. The median of fluoroscopic time was 6 min (range 2.5-31.5 min). One patient was referred for surgical endarterectomy. There were two minor strokes, one major stroke and one myocardial infarction within 30 post-procedural days; the primary endpoint occurred in four patients (1.8%). Two patients died from non-neurological causes unrelated to carotid stenting.

Conclusion: Carotid artery stenting with the FilterWire EZ^TM Embolic Protection System is feasible and safe. Short-term results with respect to neurological events are acceptable.

Keywords: Stent; Stenosis; Carotid artery; Filter

Published: April 1, 2009  Show citation