Placement of a Stent within a Flow Diverter Improves Aneurysm Occlusion Rates

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Interventional Radiology
• Vascular Medicine

Background:

• Flow diverters are used to treat brain aneurysms.
• The impact of placing a stent within a flow diverter has not been previously analyzed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical and angiographic outcomes of placing a stent within a flow diverter during the same treatment session.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective evaluation of patients treated with Surpass flow diverter.
• Comparison between patients who received a stent within the flow diverter and those who did not.
• Exclusion of patients with prior stents or adjunctive devices.

Main Results:

• Aneurysms in the stented group were larger than in the monotherapy group.
• Complete aneurysm occlusion rates at 9-12 months were significantly higher in the stented group (93.9% vs 73.2%).
• No significant difference in clinically significant adverse events or early occlusion rates between groups.

Conclusions:

• Stent placement within a flow diverter enhances aneurysm occlusion rates.
• Improved apposition of the flow diverter, due to the radial force of intracranial stents, is proposed as the mechanism.