Abstract
The authors analyzed a prospective database of patients with blunt carotid artery injuries to determine if carotid stenting is a safe and effective treatment. Patients with certain injury patterns underwent angiography to screen for blunt CAI in patients with certain injury patterns. Anticoagulation therapy was instituted in those without contraindications. If a pseudoaneurysm persisted at 7 to 10 days, the patient was a candidate for stent placement Blunt carotid pseudoaneurysms occurred in 46 patients, and 23 underwent carotid stent placement. The complication rate was 21% and included strokes and subclavian dissection. The occlusion rate was 45%. Patients treated with antithrombotic agents had an occlusion rate of 5%. No asymptomatic patient treated with antithrombotic therapy had a stroke. The authors recommend antithrombotic therapy for blunt CAI and that more study be done on the use of intraluminal stents.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.