Abstract:

Aim: was to estimate long-term results of vertebral artery (VA) stenting in patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI).

Material and methods: study included 194 patients with VBI caused by lesion of V1 segment of VA. All patients received the best course of drug therapy before admission to the clinic. In all these patients, atherosclerotic stenosis of 70% or more of VA was revealed in V1 sergment. All patients underwent surgical correction of V1 segment of VA. Open surgery was performed in «A» group – with a tortuosity of VA – 129(66,5%), in group «B» – without tortuosity of a VA – 65(33,5%) performed stenting of V1 segment of PA.

Bare-metal stents were implanted in 44 patients, drug-eluted stents - 14, renal stents – 7. Distal protection was used in 14 patients. In remaining patients, stenting was performed without embolic protection devices.

Main criteria for evaluating of results were: patency of the reconstruction zone and clinical improvement in the patient after surgery. Statistical processing of results was carried out by calculating ?2, the exact Fisher test (EFT) and constructing of Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

Results: it was determined that in «hopeless» patients, from the point of view of drug treatment, it is possible to achieve a significant clinical effect by surgical methods. Of 194 patients, clinical improvement in the early postoperative period was achieved in 189(97,4%) patients, after 1 year in 177 (91,2%) patients, and after 3 years in 156(80.2%) patients.

In case of stenting of V1 segment of VA – we received excellent immediate results – 100% of technical and clinical success. However, in the long term, results of open operations were better than results of stenting. 3 years after operation, a higher clinical efficacy of open methods was determined – 79,8%, in contrast to stenting – 73,8%. Although, differences were not statistically significant (p> 0,05). 3 years after operation, in case of open operations, a significantly smaller number of restenosis of the reconstruction zone was 1.6%, than with stenting – 15,4% (p <0.05). However, in patients with open operations, more thrombosis of the reconstruction zone were revealed – 5,5% than in patients with stenting – 1.5% (p>0,05). When performing open operations on V1 segment of VA, strokes were fewer – 2.3%, than in group of V1 stenting segment of VA – 3.1% (p> 0.05). When comparing Kaplan-Meyer curves, the median during open surgeries on VA is not achieved after 18 years, and in group of stenting of VA, it occurs after 7 years.

Conclusion: stenting of V1 segment of vertebral arteries in patients with VBI is not the operation of choice in terms of long-term results. However, this operation can be considered as the first stage of brain revascularization in the presence of significant stenosis of V1 segment of vertebral artery and low brain tolerance to ischemia in patients with multiple lesions of brachiocephalic arteries.

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https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30149-8

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