Stenting of the vertebral origin can be performed safely and with a low rate of cerebral ischemic events at follow-up, although restenosis may occur. Larger comparative trials are needed. Treatment decisions in distal vertebrobasilar disease have been made on an individual basis.

Despite the use of cerebral protection devices the neurologic complication rate in patients aged 75 years and older associated with CAS was significantly higher than with CEA performed by highly skilled surgeons at our academic institution. Although this finding is mainly based on a significantly higher rate of minor stroke in the CAS group, the common practice of preferentially submitting older patients to CAS is questionable, and should be abandoned until the results of further randomized trials are available.

Successful exclusion of abdominal aortic aneurysms located closer than 15 mm to the orifices of the renal arteries is possible with juxtarenal placement of the uncovered portion of the stent in the abdominal portion of the aorta.

No abstract

After blunt chest trauma, a patient with chronic coronary heart disease sustained an isolated rupture of the right coronary artery. All findings suggested a heart contusion complicated by a non-compromising pericardial effusion and aggravated by anticoagulation with phenprocoumon. After right-ventricular failure occurred, emergency coronary revascularization could not prevent a fatal outcome. This case emphasizes that a coronary artery lesion may be considered in those cases of thoracic trauma with preexisting coronary calcification.