Carotid stents CAS
Carotid stents are cylindrical tubes with a mesh structure used during percutaneous endovascular interventions, i.e., carotid stenting (CAS) procedures. The carotid arteries, on the other hand, are vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain, thus ensuring its proper functioning. Stents are implanted in patients with carotid atherosclerosis, i.e., patients after a stroke / transient ischemic attack (TIA) or with stenoses in the carotid arteries and neurological symptoms (e.g., dizziness, visual disturbances) despite the implemented pharmacological treatment. CAS procedures are also performed in asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis.
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Endovascular
How cartoid stents work
Stents widen the lumen of the affected artery and maintain its patency, i.e., they act as a scaffold (a stent is a permanently implanted implant). Currently, carotid stents are most often self-expanding nitinol stents. In the case of carotid stents, attention is also paid to whether the stent is open-cell or closed-cell.