Journal of neurointerventional surgery
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Case Reports
Immediate procedural outcomes in 44 consecutive Pipeline Flex cases: the first North American single-center series.
Flow diversion is an established technique for treatment of cerebral aneurysms. The Pipeline embolization device (PED) is the only FDA-approved flow diverting stent in the USA. A second-generation device, PED Flex, has recently been released with modifications to the delivery system. Published reports of experience with this new device are limited. ⋯ Pipeline Flex is a second-generation flow diverter with enhanced features compared with the first-generation PED. These modifications allow for more reliable deployment with continued improvements in procedural safety.
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Flow-diverting stents, including the Pipeline embolization device (PED) and Silk, have been beneficial in the treatment of aneurysms previously unable to be approached via endovascular techniques. Recurrent aneurysms for which stent-assisted embolization has failed are a therapeutic challenge, given the existing intraluminal construct with continued blood flow into the aneurysm. We report our experience using flow-diverting stents in the repair of 25 aneurysms for which stent-assisted embolization had failed. ⋯ One patient developed a moderate permanent neurologic deficit. Appropriate stent sizing, proximal and distal construct coverage, and preventing flow diverter deployment between the previously deployed stent struts are important considerations to ensure wall apposition and prevention of endoleak. Flow diverters are shown to be a reasonable option for treating previously stented recurrent cerebral aneurysms.
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Variable rates of restenosis after carotid artery stenting (CAS) have been reported, and few predictors have been suggested. Because CAS is being performed with increasing frequency, more data are needed to evaluate the rate and predictors of restenosis and possibly identify new risk factors for restenosis after CAS. The aim of this study was to analyze the rate and predictors of restenosis after CAS. ⋯ Our results suggest that the rate of carotid restenosis after stenting is low. Patients with cardiovascular disease, patients who had a CVA prior to stenting, and patients with higher percentages of preoperative stenosis had higher odds of restenosis. Higher rates of restenosis should be kept in mind when opting for CAS in these patients.
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Most cervical dissections are treated with anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents with very good results; however, some patients may benefit from endovascular intervention. High cervical and skull base dissections are often more challenging to treat because of the distal location and tortuous anatomy. The Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) may be a reasonable treatment option for this indication. ⋯ Our initial experience with treatment of high cervical and skull base dissections with the PED appears to show that this technique may be a safe and viable treatment option. However, long-term results are needed to fully evaluate the efficacy of such treatment.
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Intracranial aneurysms in polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) are exceedingly rare lesions with unpredictable behavior that pose real challenges to microsurgical and endovascular interventions owing to their inflammatory nature. We introduce a safe and effective alternative for treating these aneurysms using Pipeline embolization devices (PEDs). A 20-year-old man presented with diplopia, headaches, chronic abdominal pain, and weight loss. ⋯ At 6 months follow-up, complete exclusion of the aneurysm was demonstrated, with symptomatic recovery. This is the first description of using a flow-diverting technique in an inflammatory vasculitis. In this case, PEDs not only attained a definitive closure of the aneurysm but also reconstructed the damaged and fragile arterial segment affected with vasculitis.