Embolic risk of the different stages of carotid bifurcation balloon angioplasty: An experimental study

Purpose: Embolic events during carotid angioplasty are a challenging problem. This experimental study was undertaken to determine the embolic risk after each stage of carotid angioplasty procedure. Methods: Five ex vivo carotid artery balloon angioplasties were performed on fresh carotid specimens. The carotid specimens were obtained from five patients who underwent an internal carotid artery bypass for stenosis >75%. Before the endovascular maneuvers and after each stage of the procedures, the specimens were flushed with 20 mL of saline solution. Small particulate emboli (diameter