Carotid stents are not a source of microemboli late after deployment

Objectives - To evaluate the presence of microembolic signals (MES) in the middle cerebral artery distal to a stented carotid artery late after stent deployment. MES may be a signal of thrombus formation at the stent level. Patients and methods - Two patient groups were studied with transcranial Doppler at different intervals after deployment of Palmaz stents or Wallstents for stenosis of the internal or common carotid artery. Group 1: from 6 to 12 months after stent deployment; Group 2: > 12 months after stenting. Results - One out of 19 patients in Group 1 showed MES (5.0%); however, this patient also had two mechanical heart valves. None out of 17 patients in Group 2 had MES. Conclusions Carotid stents seem to have a very low emboligenic potential after the early post-deployment period. This is a reassuring message for present and future patients harboring such stents.