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Purpose: To report the use of intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) in the treatment of calcified carotid artery lesions. Materials and Methods: The records of 21 high-surgical-risk patients (mean age 75.1±8.1 years; 17 men) who were treated at 8 centers for carotid artery stenosis ≥70% were retrospectively reviewed. Twelve patients had a history of cerebrovascular disease. All patients had heavily calcified carotid artery lesions: 19 de novo and 2 in-stent restenoses (ISR). The mean baseline stenosis was 82.3%±9.7%. IVL was utilized at the discretion of the operator, followed by balloon angioplasty. Embolic protection devices were used in all cases. Results: In 19 patients, IVL was followed by stent implantation; the 2 ISR lesions were dilated only. The mean IVL balloon diameter was 4.64±1.13 mm, and the mean number of IVL pulses applied was 67.2±61.4 (range 10–180). All procedures were technically successful (70%) in 1 asymptomatic patient at 12 months after the index procedure. No patients required reintervention during a median follow-up of 6 months (range 1–12). Conclusion: This preliminary experience demonstrates that IVL can be a safe and effective approach for the management of severely calcified carotid lesions. Further research is warranted to determine the longer-term safety and efficacy of IVL for dilation of calcified carotid artery lesions as an adjunct to carotid artery stenting.

Objective: Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) using the ENROUTE Neuroprotection System (Silk Road Medical) is a United States Food and Drug Administration–approved treatment modality for stroke risk reduction in the setting of carotid artery stenosis. The goal of this investigation was to define the real-world outcomes associated with the application of this technique to patients presenting with restenosis after previous carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TF-CAS). Methods: Retrospective review of prospectively maintained institutional databases capturing all nontrial TCARs performed between August 2013 and July 2018 using the ENROUTE Neuroprotection System was completed at 3 unaffiliated hospital systems and unified for descriptive outcomes analysis. Results: During the study period, 237 combined TCARs were performed at our respective institutions. Of these procedures, 55 stents were implanted for the indication of restenosis after previous carotid revascularization (47 CEA, 8 TF-CAS). Within the 30-day perioperative period, we observed no ipsilateral strokes or deaths; one patient experienced perioperative myocardial infarction (MI; 1.8%). We noted a 4.8% incidence of postoperative hematoma, but none of these events were clinically significant as no reinterventions were performed in any of the 55 patients. Additionally, we did not observe any cases of stent thrombosis or pulmonary embolus. Mean length of stay was 2.2 ± 2.8 days. Our mean follow-up duration was 15.0 ± 9.2 months. Throughout the follow-up period, we did not observe any additional stroke or MI events. Additionally, there were no cases of in-stent restenosis, thrombosis, or reinterventions. Conclusion: Transcarotid artery revascularization can be performed in patients with restenotic carotid arteries with acceptable rates of ipsilateral stroke, MI, and death as demonstrated in this small multi-institutional series.

Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a carotid stenting technique that utilizes reversal of cerebral arterial flow to confer cerebral protection. Although carotid endarterectomy (CEA) remains the standard for treatment of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis, the search for the optimal minimally invasive option for the high-risk surgical patient continues. The goal of the current study is to evaluate the 1-year safety and efficacy of TCAR in a prospective clinical trial.ROADSTER 2 is a prospective, open-label, single-arm, multicenter, post-approval registry for patients undergoing TCAR. All patients were considered high risk for CEA and underwent independent neurological assessments preoperatively, postoperatively, and had long-term clinical follow-up. The primary end point was incidence of ipsilateral stroke after treatment with the ENROUTE Transcarotid Stent System. Secondary end points included individual/composite rates of stroke, death, and perioperative myocardial infarction.Between June 2016 and November 2018, 155 patients at 21 centers in the United States and one in the European Union were enrolled and represented a subset of the overall trial. Asymptomatic (n = 119; 77%) and symptomatic patients (n = 36; 23%) with high-risk anatomic (ie, high lesion, restenosis, radiation injury; 43%), physiologic (32%), or combined factors (25%) were enrolled. No patient suffered a perioperative myocardial infarction or stroke. Over the year, no patient had an ipsilateral stroke, but four patients died (2.6%), all from non-neurological causes. Additionally, a technical success rate of 98.7% with a low cranial nerve deficit rate of 1.3% was achieved.In patients with high risk factors, TCAR yields high technical success with a low stroke and death rate at 1 year. Further comparative studies with CEA are warranted.

Objective Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a novel approach to carotid intervention that uses a direct carotid cut-down approach coupled with cerebral blood flow reversal to minimize embolic potential. The initial positive data with TCAR indicates that it may be an attractive alternative to trans-femoral carotid artery stenting and possibly carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for high-risk patients. The purpose of this study was to present 30-day and 1-year outcomes after treatment by TCAR and to compare these outcomes against a matched control group undergoing CEA at the same institutions. Methods A retrospective review of all patients who underwent TCAR at four institutions between 2013 and 2017 was performed to evaluate the use of the ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System (Silk Road Medical, Inc, Sunnyvale, Calif). TCAR patients had high-risk factors and were either enrolled in prospective trials or treated with a commercially available TCAR device after US Food and Drug Administration approval. Contemporaneous patients undergoing CEA at each institution were also reviewed. Patients were propensity matched in a 1:1 (CEA:TCAR) fashion with respect to preoperative comorbidities. Data were analyzed using statistical models with a P value of less than .05 considered significant. Individual and composite stroke, myocardial infarction, and death at 30 days and 1 year postoperatively were assessed. Results Consecutive patients undergoing TCAR or CEA were identified (n = 663) and compared. Patients undergoing the TCAR procedure (n = 292) had higher rates of diabetes (P = .01), hyperlipidemia (P = .02), coronary artery disease (P Conclusions These early data suggest that patients undergoing TCAR, even those with high-risk comorbidities, achieve broadly similar outcomes compared with patients undergoing CEA while mitigating cranial nerve injury. Further comparative studies are warranted.

Background and Purpose: Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is comprised of carotid artery stent placement with cerebral protection via proximal carotid artery clamping and reversal of cerebral arterial flow. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TCAR performed by a broad group of physicians with variable TCAR experience. Methods: The ROADSTER 2 study is a prospective, open label, single arm, multicenter, postapproval registry for patients undergoing TCAR. Patients considered at high risk for complications from carotid endarterectomy with symptomatic stenosis ≥50% or asymptomatic stenosis ≥80% were included. The primary end point was procedural success, which encompassed technical success plus the absence of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death within the 30-day postoperative period. Secondary end points included technical success and individual/composite rates of stroke, death, and myocardial infarction (MI). All patients underwent independent neurological assessments before the procedure, within 24 hours, and at 30 days after TCAR. An independent clinical events committee adjudicated all major adverse events. Results: Between 2015 and 2019, 692 patients (Intent to Treat Population) were enrolled at 43 sites. Sixty cases had major protocol violations, leaving 632 patients adhering to the Food and Drug Administration-approved protocol (per-protocol population). The majority (81.2%) of operators were TCAR naïve before study initiation. Patients underwent TCAR for neurological symptoms in 26% of cases, and all patients had high-risk factors for carotid endarterectomy (anatomic-related 44%; physiological 32%; both 24%). Technical success occurred in 99.7% of all cases. The primary end point of procedural success rate in the Intent to Treat population was 96.5% (per-protocol 97.9%). The early postoperative outcomes in the Intent to Treat population included stroke in 13 patients (1.9%), death in 3 patients (0.4%), and MI in 6 patients (0.9%). The composite 30-day stroke/death rate was 2.3%, and stroke/death/MI rate was 3.2%. In the per-protocol population, there were strokes in 4 patients (0.6%), death in one patient (0.2%), and MI in 6 patients (0.9%) leading to a composite 30-day stroke/death rate of 0.8% and stroke/death/MI rate of 1.7%. Conclusions: TCAR results in excellent early outcomes with high technical success combined with low rates of postprocedure stroke and death. These results were achieved by a majority of operators new to this technology at the start of the trial. Adherence to the study protocol and peri-procedural antiplatelet therapy optimizes outcomes. Longer-term follow-up data are needed to confirm these early outcomes. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT02536378.

Objective Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) has become an increasingly popular alternative for the treatment of carotid bifurcation stenosis. TCAR employs carotid blood flow reversal through an ex vivo common carotid artery to femoral vein shunt for neuroprotection during the placement and angioplasty of the carotid artery stent. There is a lack of data regarding an association between the duration of flow reversal and neurologic complications or other adverse events. We analyzed TCAR flow reversal time in relation to major adverse events. Methods There were 307 patients who underwent TCAR at four high-volume academic institutions. Patients were separated on the basis of the duration of carotid flow reversal as follows: group I, ≤8 minutes (n = 138); group II, 9-13 minutes (n = 105); group III, 14-20 minutes (n = 42); and group IV, >20 minutes (n = 22). Adverse events including stroke (assessed by a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale-certified examiner), myocardial infarction (MI), and death at discharge and 30 days were collected in all patients and were compared between groups using one-way analysis of variance and χ2 analysis. Results There were four strokes in the total cohort, yielding an overall stroke rate of 1.3%. All strokes were minor in nature; two were ipsilateral and two were contralateral. All patients demonstrated full recovery at 30 days. We found no significant difference in the stroke rate between any of the groups: I, 1.5% (2/138); II, 1.9% (2/105); III, 0% (0/42); and IV, 0% (0/22; P = .76). The four strokes occurred in patients with flow reversal time of 6, 7, 11, and 12 minutes. There was also no difference in the 30-day composite stroke/death or stroke/death/MI rates among the groups. Conclusions The length of flow reversal during TCAR does not affect rates of stroke, MI, or death. These data suggest that operators should focus on the technical aspects of the procedure during flow reversal rather than on its duration.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is comprised of carotid artery stent placement with cerebral protection via proximal carotid artery clamping and reversal of cerebral arterial flow. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TCAR performed by a broad group of physicians with variable TCAR experience. METHODS: The ROADSTER 2 study is a prospective, open label, single arm, multicenter, postapproval registry for patients undergoing TCAR. Patients considered at high risk for complications from carotid endarterectomy with symptomatic stenosis ≥50% or asymptomatic stenosis ≥80% were included. The primary end point was procedural success, which encompassed technical success plus the absence of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death within the 30-day postoperative period. Secondary end points included technical success and individual/composite rates of stroke, death, and myocardial infarction (MI). All patients underwent independent neurological assessments before the procedure, within 24 hours, and at 30 days after TCAR. An independent clinical events committee adjudicated all major adverse events. RESULTS: Between 2015 and 2019, 692 patients (Intent to Treat Population) were enrolled at 43 sites. Sixty cases had major protocol violations, leaving 632 patients adhering to the Food and Drug Administration-approved protocol (per-protocol population). The majority (81.2%) of operators were TCAR naive before study initiation. Patients underwent TCAR for neurological symptoms in 26% of cases, and all patients had high-risk factors for carotid endarterectomy (anatomic-related 44%; physiological 32%; both 24%). Technical success occurred in 99.7% of all cases. The primary end point of procedural success rate in the Intent to Treat population was 96.5% (per-protocol 97.9%). The early postoperative outcomes in the Intent to Treat population included stroke in 13 patients (1.9%), death in 3 patients (0.4%), and MI in 6 patients (0.9%). The composite 30-day stroke/death rate was 2.3%, and stroke/death/MI rate was 3.2%. In the per-protocol population, there were strokes in 4 patients (0.6%), death in one patient (0.2%), and MI in 6 patients (0.9%) leading to a composite 30-day stroke/death rate of 0.8% and stroke/death/MI rate of 1.7%. CONCLUSIONS: TCAR results in excellent early outcomes with high technical success combined with low rates of postprocedure stroke and death. These results were achieved by a majority of operators new to this technology at the start of the trial. Adherence to the study protocol and peri-procedural antiplatelet therapy optimizes outcomes. Longer-term follow-up data are needed to confirm these early outcomes. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02536378.

In the pivotal U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval trial, ROADSTER, transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) using the ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System (Silk Road Medical Inc, Sunnyvale, Calif) was shown to have one of the lowest reported complication rates, not only for carotid artery stent placement, but also for any carotid intervention, including endarterectomy. The number of cases required for a surgeon to gain the proficiency to realize these outcomes has not been studied. Our objective was to determine the learning curve for vascular surgeons performing the TCAR procedure. We examined the effect of surgeon procedural experience on intraoperative data and postoperative outcome.This retrospective review analyzed data from a prospectively maintained database of 188 consecutive patients from three large academic centers who underwent TCAR. Procedures were ordered chronologically for each surgeon and grouped into bins of five. Operative times and flow reversal times were analyzed by analysis of variance. Results led to comparison of surgeons' early experience (cases 1-15) with their later experience (cases 16-50). The primary outcome was postoperative stroke and death.The mean procedural time for all cases was 75.0 ± 23.8 minutes. When the procedural time of cases 1 through 15 (mean, 79.0 ± 28.3 minutes) were compared with cases 16 through 50 (mean, 71.8 ± 19.0 minutes), a significant difference was noted (P = .02). The mean flow reversal time was 10.6 ± 6.8 minutes. When flow reversal times were compared using analysis of variance testing, cases 1 through 15 were statistically similar and cases 11 through 50 were also similar, but the two groups differed from each other (P .001). For flow reversal, cases 1 through 15 had mean reversal times of 13.3 ± 8.8 minutes compared with 8.5 ± 3.5 minutes for cases 16 through 50 (P .001). Postoperative stroke rates were similar in the 1 through 15 and 16 through 50 case groups (2.4% vs 1.0%; P = .59), as were death rates (0.0% vs 1.0%; P.99). The combined stroke/death rates were also comparable at 2.4% in the early cohort vs 1.9% in the late cohort (P.99).There seems to be a relatively short learning curve for the TCAR procedure. After 15 cases, surgeons are able to reduce procedural decrease by 10% (from 79.0 to 71.8 minutes), and flow reversal times by an average of 40% (from 13.3 to 8.5 minutes). More important, the rates of stroke and death do not differ between early and late experience with TCAR. The TCAR procedure may be quickly and safely adopted by vascular surgeons for carotid intervention.

The aim of this study was to assess actual procedural costs and outcomes comparing wire-catheter and dedicated chronic total occlusion (CTO) device strategies to cross peripheral artery CTOs.Peripheral artery CTO interventions are frequently performed, but there are limited data on actual procedural costs and outcomes comparing wire-catheter and dedicated CTO devices.The XLPAD (Excellence in Peripheral Artery Disease Intervention) registry (NCT01904851) was accessed to retrospectively compare cost and 30-day and 12-month outcomes of wire-catheter and crossing device strategies for treatment of infrainguinal peripheral artery CTO.Of all 3,234 treated lesions, 42% (n = 1,362) were CTOs in 1,006 unique patients. Wire-catheter approaches were used in 82% of CTOs, whereas dedicated CTO devices were used in 18% (p 0.0001). CTO crossing device use was associated with significantly higher technical success (74% vs. 65%; p 0.0001) and mean procedure cost ($7,800.09 vs. $4,973.24; p 0.0001). Because 12-month repeat revascularization (11.3% vs. 17.2%; p = 0.02) and amputation rates (2.8% vs. 8.5%; p = 0.002) in the CTO crossing device arm were lower compared with the wire-catheter group, the net cost for an initial CTO crossing device strategy was $423.80 per procedure.An initial wire-catheter approach to cross a peripheral artery CTO is most frequently adopted. The use of dedicated CTO crossing devices provides significantly higher technical success and lower reintervention and amputation rates, at a net cost of $423.80 per procedure at 12 months.

There are limited data regarding contemporary use of stent and non-stent based treatment strategies of infrainguinal peripheral artery disease (PAD).We analyzed data from the ongoing multicenter XLPAD registry between July 2005 and October 2013 to report on the use of non-stent (atherectomy ± balloon angioplasty) and stent-based treatment of superficial femoral artery (SFA), popliteal, and below-the-knee (BTK) vessels in contemporary clinical practice.A total of 584 interventions (SFA, 82.5%; popliteal, 7.2%; BTK, 9.9%) were performed in 372 patients (mean age, 63.2 years; diabetes mellitus, 57.7%; Rutherford category 1-3, 73.5%; Rutherford category 4-6, 20.1%). Stents were deployed in 389 lesions (66.6%; SFA, 90.5%; popliteal, 5.1%; BTK, 4.1%) and non-stent strategy (atherectomy, 49%) in 195 lesions (33.4%; SFA, 66.7%; popliteal, 11.3%; BTK, 21.5%). In the stent and non-stent groups, mean lesion lengths were 133.9 mm and 86.0 mm (P.001), chronic total occlusions (CTOs) constituted 63.0% and 49.7% (P.01), and restenotic lesions were 12.6% and 32.3% (P.001), respectively. At a mean follow-up of 260 ± 130 days, in the stent and non-stent treated patients, all-cause mortality was 4.3% and 3.5% (P=.65), clinically indicated repeat revascularization was 17.5% and 14.9% (P=.42), and amputation was 4.6% and 9.2% (P.01), respectively. SFA lesion location, long lesion length, and CTO were associated with the use of stents. Advanced Rutherford class was associated with a non-stent treatment strategy.The majority of endovascular peripheral arterial interventions are performed in the SFA; most include a CTO and in patients with diabetes mellitus. Operators use stents to primarily treat complex SFA lesions with overall similar outcomes, except for fewer amputations compared to a non-stent strategy.

We report the case of a 26-year-old female patient with Marfan syndrome and an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) with associated Kommerell diverticulum. The patient presented with spontaneous acute dissection of the ARSA that showed fusiform dilation to 4 cm in diameter. Definitive treatment was performed using a two-stage hybrid endovascular technique, including extrathoracic bilateral upper extremity bypass and thoracic endovascular aortic repair with debranching of the right and left subclavian arteries. This was followed by coil and plug embolization to exclude the dissection and prevent subsequent endoleak.