ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:To study the safety and efficacy of Neuroform self-expanding stent for symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis.METHODS:A total of 37 patients with symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis received treatment at the Department of Neurosurgery,Affiliated Hospital of Behua University and Xuanwu Hospital were selected,who were ineffective to anticoagulation and antiplatelet treatment,including 24 males and 13 females,aged from 49 to 72 years,mean aged 64 years.All patients were received Neuroform self-expanding stent following angiography.RESULTS:All patients underwent PTAS with mean preoperative stenosis were reduced from 64% to 24% after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTAS).The technically successful rate was 100%.All the patients were received a 6-22 month follow-up (average 13 months).The average artery stents was retrieved by 50%-90% after stent deployment.There was no arterial dissection,acute occlusion of the target artery or symptomatic distal emboli.Within the follow-up period,1 patient endured asymptomatical artery full occlusion.Two stents were implanted simultaneously in 3 patients,1 of them suffered bilateral vertebral artery stenosis,and 2 had right vertebral arterial and basilar artery stenosis.One patient suffered acute in-stent thrombosis and recovered after thrombolytic therapy.No pathogenetic condition was aggravated in the follow-up.CONCLUSION:The application of Neuroform self-expanding stent can alleviate the ischemic symptoms of patients with vertebrobasilar stenosis and elevate the operative safety and effectiveness.However,further study is needed to evaluate the long-term therapeutic effect.