Complications Associated With Carotid Artery Stenting

Carotid artery stenting was initially proposed as a bailout measure for treating intimal flap complications. It has undergone sustained evaluation as a potential alternative to carotid endarterectomy. Persistently increased periprocedural atheroembolic stroke has since dampened enthusiasm for CAS as a replacement for surgery. However, in selected patients at high risk for surgery, it continues to offer optimal means for revascularization. Carotid artery stenting should be considered after careful patient selection, lesion selection and surgical planning. It should be conducted with careful intraprocedural monitoring, meticulous endovascular technique, and close postoperative monitoring to avoid complications. Foreknowledge of the fundamentals of the procedure and some tricks to adapt the procedure for the patient’s anatomy and disease are important to avoid complications.