CREST Clinical Trial Results Find That Carotid Artery Stenting is as Safe and Effective as Conventional Surgery

WALTHAM, Mass.,  March 2 /PRNewswire/ --  According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, recent preliminary results from the CREST (Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy versus Stenting Trial) will support growth in carotid stenting procedures of more than 10% over the next five years. The results were announced last week at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference 2010.

Preliminary results from the CREST, which includes both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, found that carotid artery stenting, the minimally invasive treatment for carotid artery disease, is as safe and effective as surgical carotid endarterectomy. Carotid stenting was associated with a 7.2% rate of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death—the composite primary endpoint—compared to 6.8% for carotid endarterectomy.  Positive clinical data released from CREST is consistent with MRG's recent forecast in US Markets for Peripheral Vascular Devices 2009 and will further reinforce carotid artery stenting as a viable treatment option for patients suffering from carotid artery disease.  With positive clinical data supporting the demand for less invasive treatment options that offer shorter recovery times, carotid stenting volumes will grow to more than 50,000 by 2014.  

"Although the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not expand reimbursement to include the high-risk asymptomatic patient population with over 80% stenosis at the end of 2009 as planned, we forecast that CREST data will support an affirmative decision," says Darren Navarro, Principal Analyst at MRG. "CMS has been debating this reimbursement issue for several years now; positive data from the CREST will place further pressure on CMS to expand coverage to include high-risk asymptomatic patients."

MRG's US Markets for Peripheral Vascular Devices 2009 report provides detailed five-year market forecasts for peripheral stenting by major vessel bed and by stent type, in addition to in-depth forecasts for other devices used in the treatment of peripheral artery disease. The report also provides detailed data on the treatment of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

About Millennium Research Group
Millennium Research Group ( www.MRG.net ), a Decision Resources, Inc. company ( www.DecisionResourcesInc.com ), is the global authority on medical technology market intelligence and the leading provider of strategic information to the healthcare sector. The company provides specialized industry expertise through multiclient market research, ongoing Marketrack™ projects, customer behavior tracking, facility-level procedure forecasting, and customized solutions.

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SOURCE Millennium Research Group