Background Among asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis but no recent stroke or transient cerebral ischaemia, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can restore patency and reduce long-term stroke risks. However, from recent national registry data, each option causes about 1% procedural risk of disabling stroke or death. Comparison of their long-term protective effects requires large-scale randomised evidence.Methods ACST-2 is an international multicentre randomised trial of CAS versus CEA among asymptomatic patients with severe stenosis thought to require intervention, interpreted with all other relevant trials. Patients were eligible if they had severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and both doctor and patient agreed that a carotid procedure should be undertaken, but they were substantially uncertain which one to choose. Patients were randomly allocated to CAS or CEA and followed up at 1 month and then annually, for a mean 5 years. Procedural events were those within 30 days of the intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses are provided. Analyses including procedural hazards use tabular methods. Analyses and meta-analyses of non-procedural strokes use Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN21144362.

Carotid artery stenting is considered to be an alternative to carotid endarterectomy for selected patients by many vascular specialists around the world. Acute stent thrombosis following the procedure, although very infrequent, can risk the survival of the patient. In this report, we present a case of acute stent thrombosis 24 hours following the procedure. After a slow deterioration of the clinical state of the patient, he was urgently subjected to thrombectomy with extraction of the stent, with eventual resolution of his symptoms. A review of the current literature is presented together with all the possible treatment options of this serious complication. In conclusion, several neurorescue procedures are available for the vascular surgeon who has to act urgently and, in some cases, aggressively, when stent thrombosis is diagnosed.

This small series shows that the ascending aorta is a safe location for antegrade visceral debranching, which could facilitate hybrid repair in most cases, especially those patients with advanced lesions of the iliac arteries. More patients and longer follow-up are required to draw definite conclusions for the adoption of this treatment in high-risk patients.