Carotid artery stenting, a less invasive alternative to surgery on the carotid artery (carotid endarterectomy), is equally safe and effective for people at risk for stroke as carotid endarterectomy, according to a major new study presented today at the 2010 International Stroke Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The study findings indicate both carotid stenting and carotid endarterectomy are continually improving and have become "extraordinarily safe" for the treatment of carotid artery disease, according to investigators in the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial (CREST), one of the largest and most rigorous randomized stroke prevention trials ever undertaken.
The overall safety and efficacy of the two procedures, based on the combined primary endpoint of stroke, heart attack and death, was largely the same with equal benefits for both men and for women, and for patients who had previously had a stroke and for those who had not. There were also some notable differences. Investigators found: