A systematic review of cognitive function after carotid endarterectomy in asymptomatic patients.

OBJECTIVE: Asymptomatic carotid stenosis has been associated with a progressive decline in neurocognitive function. However, the effect of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on this process is poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate preoperative and postoperative cognitive function changes in asymptomatic patients after CEA. METHODS: A systematic review of the existing reports in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochran databases was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis statement recommendations. All original retrospective or prospective studies (including cohort, cross-sectional, case-control, pilot studies, etc) and clinical trials that compared pre and postoperative neurocognitive function in asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis after CEA, which were published from January 2000 to April 2021 were identified and considered eligible for inclusion in the study. RESULTS: Thirteen studies (502 CEAs) comparing cognitive function changes before and after CEA were identified. In 7 studies with a total 272 patients, a mean age range of 67.3 ± 4.8 to 76.35 years old, and follow-up ranging between 1 and 12 months, overall cognitive function improved after CEA. However, in 6 studies with a total sample of 230, a mean age range of 68.6 ± 6.9 to 74.4 ± 6.1 years, and follow-up ranged from 24 hours to 3 years, showed no change or decline in overall cognitive function after procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of standardization of specific cognitive tests and cognitive function assessment timing after CEA does not allow for definite conclusions to be made. However, improving brain perfusion with a combination of CEA and statin therapy may be a protective strategy against cognitive function decline.

Implementation of drug-eluting stents for the treatment of femoropopliteal disease provides significant cost-to-system savings in a single-state outpatient simulation.

OBJECTIVES: Initial data on drug-eluting stents (DES) shows that they may increase the durability of endovascular treatment of superficial femoral artery disease compared with traditional bare-metal stents (BMS). Observed decreased target lesion revascularization (TLR) rates have potential for cost savings despite an increased initial cost. The purpose of this study was to run a simulation model of progressive transition from BMS to DES over 5 years evaluating the overall cost impact of that transition. METHODS: Florida State Ambulatory Databases were searched for all patients undergoing superficial femoral artery stenting in 2013 using Current Procedural Terminology codes 37226 and 37227. A simulation model was developed to estimate the impact of a progressive transition from BMS to DES over a 5-year horizon in this patient population. Cost estimates were determined from available cost charge ratio data. For the 5-year model, 2013 served as the initial year with each subsequent year based on the expected number of interventions per year. Up to one TLR per patient was assumed for the model. The 5-year TLR rates for DES and other parameter estimates were based on pooled data from the literature. Institutional data were used to estimate that up to 48% of superficial femoral artery lesions would fit the instructions for use for the Zilver PTX (Cook Medical, Bloomington, Ind), which is currently the only DES approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for peripheral interventions. The net budget impact was expressed as the difference in total costs (primary stenting and reinterventions) for a scenario where BMS is progressively replaced by Zilver PTX compared with a scenario of BMS only. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed on the base scenario. RESULTS: We identified 4107 peripheral interventions in the first year that fit our study. The overall cost for these procedures in Florida database was $51,362,142.00. In the base case scenario, DES was introduced slowly into the population at a rate of 8% per year up to 48% at the end of the model. This strategy resulted in an overall cost savings of $1,688,953.72 compared with the model with BMS alone. Sensitivity analyses including slower adoption of DES up to only 24% at 5 years, a 20% increase in TLR rates per year for the DES, and a 10% reduction in TLR rates per year for BMS still resulted in a net savings. As long as the additional cost of a DES compared with BMS is less than $677, the DES model remains less expensive. CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of DES in lieu of traditional BMS can lead to significant cost savings in a single state model over a short time horizon.