Endovascular treatment of carotid disease.: The state of the art, technical aspects and occupational training

Aims. The aim of this study was to carry out a review of the state of the art in the endovascular treatment of carotid disease, taking into account the findings currently available, its indications, the technical aspects linked to the intervention as well as those related to the occupational training of the specialists involved in performing the technique. Development. Surgical treatment of carotid artery disease can be of benefit to symptomatic patients with stenoses above 70% and to subgroups of patients with symptomatic stenoses between 50-69%. The benefit of carotid endarterectomy in asymptomatic patients is the object of a great deal of controversy that is concerned with the reduction in risk that is obtained and also the large number of patients to be treated in order to prevent the occurrence of ischaemic events. The endovascular treatment of carotid disease comes to the fore, then, as an alternative to surgical treatment. At the present time, a number of randomised multicentre studies are being conducted that will allow the two techniques to be compared in homogeneous groups of patients. Preliminary data nevertheless seem to suggest that this technique offers a number of benefits, especially in groups of subjects with a high surgical risk, and thus they could allow the indications for revascularisation to be extended. We analyse the technical and medical aspects linked to this procedure, the findings from studies carried out to date, its indications and the occupational training of the specialists involved in performing the technique. Conclusions. The endovascular treatment of carotid disease constitutes an alternative to surgical treatment in specifically selected patients. The potential increase in its indications is conditioned by the results from the multicentre studies currently being carried out.