Evaluating long-term outcomes of endovascular revascularization in symptomatic chronic internal carotid artery occlusion: A multicenter cohort study.

OBJECTIVES

Chronic internal carotid artery occlusion (CICAO) poses a considerable risk for stroke. While endovascular revascularization holds promise as a potential therapy, its real-world efficacy, safety, and long-term outcomes remain underexplored. This study aims to assess the effectiveness, safety, and long-term outcomes of endovascular revascularization in symptomatic CICAO patients refractory to medical therapy.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect clinical and surgical data from CICAO patients meeting the inclusion criteria for endovascular revascularization therapy. Patients were categorized into groups based on the success or failure of revascularization procedures. Follow-up assessments were undertaken to ascertain patients' prognoses and survival outcomes. Logistic multivariate analysis was employed to identify risk factors associated with primary and secondary outcome events. COX proportional hazard regression was used to compare the risk ratios of these events between the two groups.

RESULTS

The study included 59 patients undergoing 62 procedures with a 75.81 % success rate for revascularization. Perioperative complications were 6.45 %, and the average follow-up duration was 36.53 ± 3.92 months. In the successful revascularization group, the primary endpoint event rate was 6.52 %, contrasting with 23.08 % in the non-revascularization group. Carotid artery occlusion and diabetes emerged as independent risk factors for primary endpoint events. A significant difference was observed between the two groups in both primary endpoint (RR 0.16, [95 %CI, 0.03-0.84]) and total endpoint event rates (RR 0.27, [95 %CI, 0.08-0.96])

CONCLUSIONS

Failure of revascularization may be associated with an increased risk of recurrent cerebrovascular events in patients with CICAO, while successful endovascular revascularization appears to be linked to a lower incidence of such events. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due the relatively small sample size.