Outcomes of using various designs of carotid stents

It is assumed that the characteristics of stents including design of device may be predictors of adverse outcomes in carotid stenting. New stent designs enter the market and the stent manufacturers declare their ability to prevent periprocedural and postprocedural embolisms. The article provides an overview of clinical trials comparing the incidence rates of restenosis and ischemic complications in carotid artery stenting with various stent designs. In theory, the closed-cell stents and doublelayer stents are superior to the open-cell stents in preventing the postprocedural cerebral embolisms. However, the clinical significance of this phenomenon has not been proven, and the data on the effect of various carotid stent types on the stenting results remain controversial. In many cases, the choice of stent depends on the anatomy of the target vessel. The results of new randomized controlled clinical trials may clarify the clinical relevance of various stent designs.