Assisted coiling of saccular wide-necked unruptured intracranial aneurysms: stent versus balloon

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Assisted coiling with stents or balloons enables a higher percentage of complete occlusions of saccular unruptured intracranial aneurysms to be achieved with a reasonable complication rate. The aim of this study was to compare stent-assisted coiling and the balloon remodeling technique in terms of efficacy, stability, and safety for the treatment of comparable unruptured saccular intracranial aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 268 patients with 286 saccular unruptured wide-necked intracranial aneurysms were treated at our institution with stent- or balloon-assisted coiling and retrospectively reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed to assess significant differences between the two groups. RESULTS: The rate of complete occlusion at the end of the procedure was higher with stent-assisted coiling than with balloon-assisted coiling (86.8% vs 78%) and the same results were also observed after 6 months (92.1% vs 77.6%; p=0.05). About 50% of major recurrences occurred in large to giant aneurysms (p<0.001). The overall complication rate was similar in the stent-assisted and balloon-assisted groups (10.3% vs 9.3%). Independently of the technique, a higher complication rate was observed with bifurcational aneurysms, particularly in the middle cerebral artery (p=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Stent-assisted coiling achieved better results in terms of complete occlusion and stability than balloon-assisted coiling with a lower rate of recurrence without being associated with a higher risk of intraprocedural complications. Bifurcational and large to giant aneurysms were associated with higher complication rates and higher recurrence rates, respectively, and still represent a challenge for both techniques.