Abstract 5: Early and Long-term Safety of Stenting and Endarterectomy in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Patients Outside Randomized Trials

Objective. Due to the different stroke risk exposure, advisability of carotid revascularization by carotid stenting (CAS) or endarterectomy (CEA) strictly depends on patients’ symptomatic status. Periprocedural and 5-year data of 2196 consecutive procedures (1080 CAS, 1116 CEA) based on physician-guided indication for CEA vs CAS and performed after training outside randomized trials, were reviewed for safety. Methods. 684 symptomatic and 1512 asymptomatic patients were analyzed for periprocedural stroke/death and 5-year death or stroke incidence. Kaplan-Meier survival curves with type-of-procedure interaction were employed. Results. Symptomatic patients were older (71.9y vs 71.04y), less frequently females (25.3% vs 30.8%) and treated more by CEA (60.8%) than by CAS (p<0.001). Asymptomatic patients were more likely affected by cardiac disease, peripheral disease and hyperlipidemia. Periprocedural stroke/death was higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic patients (3.5% vs 1.9%;OR 1.8, 95%CI1.07-3.2) without significant differences between CAS and CEA in both symptomatic (4.5%CAS vs 2.9%CEA) and asymptomatic (2.2% CAS vs 1.6% CEA) groups. Symptomatic patients showed higher 5-year mortality and stroke incidence: survival rate was 78.4% in symptomatic and 85.5% in asymptomatic (p<0.0001). Late stroke freedom was 93.5% in symptomatic and 97.7% in asymptomatic (p=0.001). There were no differences, according to the procedure (CAS vs CEA) for treatment, in survival (Symptomatic: 85% vs 75%; Asymptomatic: 83% vs 83%) or late stroke incidence (Symptomatic: 93% vs 93%; Asymptomatic: 97% vs 97%). Conclusions. Symptomatic patients show higher risks after carotid revascularization and 5-year outcomes are inferior to those of asymptomatic patients regardless of the surgical procedure. Periprocedural stroke/death rates, either by CAS or CEA, are within the complication threshold rates suggested in current guidelines for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.