Reversal of flow during carotid artery stenting: use of the Parodi antiembolism system

Introduction To evaluate the flow reversal efficacy of the Parodi antiembolism system (PAES) in the prevention of distal emboli during carotid stenting. Methods A total of 90 patients were treated for internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis with a stent device. A PAES device was used in 31 symptomatic and 5 asymptomatic patients (total 36 patients) with ICA stenosis, and 54 patients were stented without any protection device. Diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging was performed before and after stenting. Results In the group without PAES protection, 23 out of 54 patients showed new lesions on DW images after stenting. Of the lesions seen, 147 (2.72 lesions/patient) were in the vessel-dependent area. In the group with protection, 19 out of 36 patients had new lesions, and only 34 (0.94 lesions/patient) were noted in the vessel-dependent area. The number of new lesions in the nondependent vessel area did not differ if a protection system was used (P = 0.671). The use of PAES led to a significant reduction (P = 0.024) in the incidence of the most frequently seen lesions (size <2 mm). The stroke death rate was 3.3% overall, 3.7% in the group without protection device, and 2.7% in the PAES group. There were no permanent neurological deficits after 3 months. Conclusion The PAES is a safe and effective tool to reduce the incidence of embolic complications during carotid stenting. Older patients and patients with higher grade stenosis seem to profit more.