STENT-ASSISTED CAROTID PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL ANGIOPLASTY - AN INTERVENTIONAL NEURORADIOLOGISTS PERSPECTIVE

There is currently no proof of the long-term clinical effectiveness of either carotid percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (CPTA) or stent- assisted carotid percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (SACPTA). Never theless, these types of endovascular therapies for carotid revasculari zation offer several apparent advantages over surgery. Until level I e vidence of clinical safety and efficacy is available, however, the app lication of CPTA or SACPTA should be restricted to patients consider-e d poor candidates for endarterectomy, or those participating in approv ed multidisciplinary research initiatives.