Effectiveness and safety of submaximal angioplasty and stenting for patients with severe carotid artery stenosis before CABG / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and safety of submaximal balloon dilation and to perform small-diameter stent for symptomatic carotid artery severely stenosis before coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG).Methods:From January 2016 to December 2019, 30 patients of the Department of Neurointervention in Beijing Anzhen Hospital with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis(≥70%) and the left main trunk or triple-vessel of coronary artery disease were analyzed retrospectively. General information, clinical characteristics, and imaging data of all cases were collected. All patients underwent submaximal balloon dilation and small-diameter stent implantation. Preoperative comorbidities or risk factors included hypertension 23 cases(76.7%), diabetes 10 cases(33.3%), hyperglycemia 14 cases(46.7%), moking 13 cases(43.3%). Left main trunk disease 6 cases(20.0%), three-vessels disease 24 cases(80.0%), mitral regurgitation 1 case(3.3%), stable angina 25 cases(83.3%), myocardial infarction 8 cases(26.7%), cerebral infarction 24 cases(80.0%) and transient ischemia attack(TIA) 6 cases(20.0%) caused by ipsilateral carotid artery stenosis. The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS) score was 2(0-3), and the median modified Rankin Scale(mRS) score was 1(0-1) before the operation. The mean interval between carotid artery intervention and CABG was(23.4±8.2)days.Results:29 cases(96.7%, 29/30) underwent CAS-CABG operation successfully. In one case of carotid artery extreme tortuosity, the emboli protective device could not place the distal carotid artery. In the operative procedure, 27 cases(90.0%, 27/30) underwent with 3mm diameter balloon, only 3 cases(10.0%) with 3 mm balloon after pre-dilatation with 2 mm diameter balloon because of severely high-grade stenosis(99%). 25 cases(83.3%) with 7mm diameter stents and 5 cases(16.7%) with 6 mm diameter stents, including 22 cases(73.3%) with a closed-cell stent and 8 cases(26.7%) with an open-cell stent. In the perioperative period, the heart rate of two patients was lower than 50 BPM during operation and returned to normal after using atropine immediately. Another patient presented with chest tightness during interventional therapy. TNI elevation was examined urgently. After oxygen inhalation and intravenous infusion of Nitroglycerin, the patient's symptoms improved rapidly. No cardiac and cerebrovascular complications occurred during the perioperative period of CABG, no cardiac-related complications occurred within 30 days of follow-up, one case of TIA and 1 case of cerebral infarction. After intensive anti-platelet aggregation and lipid-lowering treatment, two patient's symptoms improved. There were no death cases in all patients during carotid artery interventional therapy, perioperative CABG and 30-day follow-up. Thirty days later, we performed a clinical follow-up of 23 cases, median 4.5(3.0-7.9) months, mRS Score Median 1(0-1). One patient presented with TIA, any patient had no symptoms of the cardiac or nervous system. Image follow-up of 17 cases, median 3.5(2.8-4.5) months, carotid artery ultrasound showed in-stent restenosis(stenosis rate>50%) in 1 case, the patient was asymptomatic restenosis, continue treatment of aggressive anti-platelet and lipid-lowering drugs.Conclusion:Submaximal balloon dilation and performing small-diameter stent for symptomatic carotid artery severely stenosis before CABG is safe and feasible, which could not only reduce the incidence of vagus reflex resulted in acute coronary syndrome during carotid artery stenosis intervention but also morbidity of acute ischemic stroke events during CABG.