Procedural safety and short-term outcome of ambulatory carotid stenting

Background and Purpose-Ambulatory procedures increase patient comfort and enhance cost-effectiveness. We sought to determine the feasibility and safety of ambulatory carotid stenting. Methods-A selected group of patients was admitted and discharged the same day after the carotid stenting procedure. Immediate and short-term outcomes are reported. Results-A total of 98 ambulatory carotid stenting procedures (98 hemispheres in 92 patients) were performed. There were 66 men (72%), and the mean age was 70 +/-9 years. Of the patients, 28% had neurological symptoms related to the treated artery within 3 months before the procedure. Sixteen percent of the patients had prior carotid endarterectomy, 4% had prior ipsilateral neck radiation, and 8% had complete occlusion of the contralateral internal carotid artery. Successful access site hemostasis was ensured in all patients with suture-mediated vascular closure devices in 96 (98%) and manual compression in 2. Clinical follow-up was available for 96% of the patients at a mean time of 6 +/-4 months. There were no neurological events, deaths, repeated procedures, or major access site complications. Conclusions-Ambulatory carotid stenting is both safe and feasible. This approach will enhance the applicability of the procedure by increasing patient comfort and potentially reducing procedural costs.