Prediction of Carotid Occlusion Intolerance by Transcranial Doppler Evaluation in Patients Undergoing Carotid Artery Stenting With Proximal Flow Arrest Protection System.

Carotid artery stenting procedures are increasingly performed with devices that involve endovascular clamping of the common carotid artery, thus exposing the ipsilateral hemisphere to hypoperfusion. Approximately 5% of patients do not tolerate the clamp and are in increased risk of periprocedural cerebrovascular complication such as transient ischemic attack or stroke. To date, there is no method available that could be used to predict the risk of occlusion intolerance. The aim of this study is to determine whether preprocedural evaluation with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography can be effective in prediction of occlusion intolerance.