Intracranial stents for treatment of acute ischemic stroke: evolution and current status

Document Type

Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intravascular stents have been applied to treat a variety of pathophysiologic conditions. With advances in stent design and delivery, stenting has become a viable treatment option in neurovascular disease. Recently, intracranial arterial stenting has received increasing interest as a modality to rapidly and effectively recanalize affected vessels in the setting of acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: To examine the potential of stenting procedures for stroke, we compiled and analyzed relevant experimental and clinical studies in the available databases. RESULTS: Our resulting discussion covers the brief history of stents, from their initial inception in the 1960s, to the developments of interventional cardiology, and finally to the treatment of acute occlusions of the neurovasculature. We also detail technological advances that have improved stent delivery to intracranial arteries and review the several clinical studies that feature stenting for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. CONCLUSION: Numerous clinical studies have revealed that stents are a quick and efficacious endovascular tool for acute ischemic stroke treatment. It appears likely that issues regarding design, safety, and feasibility of stent-based devices will experience further improvement and refinement, and from fruitful criticism of existing technologies and techniques, along with lessons from past mistakes, will arise safer and more effective devices.

Medical Subject Headings

Angioplasty, Balloon; Brain Ischemia (complications, surgery); Cerebral Arteries (surgery); Cerebral Revascularization; Equipment Design; Humans; Stents; Stroke (etiology, surgery)

Publication Date

12-1-2011

Publication Title

World neurosurgery

E-ISSN

1878-8769

Volume

76

Issue

6 Suppl

First Page

S24

Last Page

34

PubMed ID

22182268

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.wneu.2011.02.031

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS