[INTRODUCTION - Significant stenosis of the internal carotid artery is frequently treated with stent placement. With growing clinical experience and usage of finer instrumentation, the incidence of periprocedural complications have reduced in larger centers. Two-thirds of the complications are postprocedural, due to the embolisation through the stent structure. Covered stents seem to be a good option against such embolisation. Our study demonstrates the efficiency, safety and feasibility of covered stent grafts, and the long term outcome of patients who underwent endovascular treatment of extracranial internal carotid artery stenoses, caused by highly embologenic plaques. MATERIALS AND METHODS - Between 2002 and 2003, 30 patients (22 male, 8 female, aged 50-89yrs, mean: 66 yrs) with 30 internal carotid artery stenoses having ipsilateral symptoms and/or stenotic lesions caused by irregular or ulcerated soft plaques or restenosis were treated with self-expanding covered stents (Symbiot, Boston Scientific). Predilatation and protecting devices were not used. Postdilatation was applied in every patient. Mean followup was 60 months (range 57-66 months), by Doppler ultrasonography as well as clinical examination. RESULTS - The degree of stenosis was found to range from 70% to subtotal occlusion. The plaque surfaces were irregular or ulcerated in 70%. The stenotic lesions were up to 30 mm in length. The narrowing of the internal carotid artery never extended to the common carotid artery. The technical success rate of stenting was 100%. The stents could be positioned with an accuracy of 2-3 mm. Periprocedurally, there were no neurological complications or deaths. During follow-up no strokes or stroke-related deaths occurred. Restenosis was found in two patients (6,6%) who underwent successful balloon dilatation. CONCLUSION - Our experience indicates that the covered stent is an efficient periprocedural and postprocedural “protecting device” to prevent neurological complications due to embolizations caused by high-risk plaques in stenotic lesions of extracranial internal carotid artery.]