Guidelines for patient selection and performance of carotid artery stenting

Abstract

The endovascular treatment of carotid atherosclerosis with carotid artery stenting (CAS) remains controversial. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) remains the benchmark in terms of procedural mortality and morbidity. Consensus Australasian guidelines for the safe performance of CAS were developed using the modified Delphi consensus method of iterative consultation. Selection of patients suitable for CAS needs careful consideration of clinical and patho-anatomical criteria. Randomised controlled trials and pooled analyses have demonstrated that CAS is more hazardous than CEA. The CGSC therefore recommends that CAS should not be performed in the majority of patients requiring carotid revascularisati..