Effect of the Shelving Technique on the Outcome of Embolization in Intracranial Bifurcation Aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stent bulging technique has been introduced as a technique that improves the outcome of aneurysm coiling. Our aim was to evaluate the utility of this technique, which involves the intentional herniation of stents into the bifurcation aneurysms during coiling.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Unruptured bifurcation aneurysms treated by stent-assisted coiling using a single type of low-profile braided (LEO Baby) stent between November 2012 and October 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. The clinical (age and sex) and morphologic characteristics (aneurysm size, neck size, proximal/distal diameters of the stented artery, incorporation of the origins of the side branches to the aneurysm neck, and bifurcation angle) and response to antiplatelet therapy were evaluated.

RESULTS: Sixty-one patients (29 men, 47.5%; mean age, 55.95 [SD, 12.33] years) with 66 aneurysms were included. There were 36 aneurysms in group A (treated with the stent bulging technique) and 30 aneurysms in group B (treated by classic stent-assisted coiling). There was no significant difference in the patient and aneurysm characteristics in the groups except for the larger size and wider neck of the aneurysms in group A (P = .02 and P = .04, respectively). At the mean follow-up of 27.30 (SD, 17.45) months, there was no significant difference in the complication rate, the occlusion status, and the early and long-term occlusion rates between the groups. The stent bulging technique did not predict total occlusion (Raymond-Roy I) at the final imaging follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: The stent bulging technique enables the coiling of larger, wide-neck aneurysms; however, we did not observe an added flow-diversion effect with the stent bulging technique compared with conventional stent-assisted coiling. We, therefore, suggest that bifurcation aneurysms should be coiled as densely and as safely as possible using this technique.