Complication rates using balloon-expandable and self-expanding stents for the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses

Using balloon-expandable stents (BES) for treatment of intracranial stenoses, high inflation pressures and rigidity of the device are regarded as major drawbacks limiting feasibility and safety of the procedure. Self-expanding stents (SES) were developed to facilitate lesion access and to allow for less aggressive dilatation. We analyzed data of the INTRASTENT multicentric registry to assess whether self-expanding stents significantly reduced peri-interventional complication rates. Records of intracranial stent procedures were entered consecutively into the registry. Datasets were divided into two groups according to the type of stent used. For outcome measurement, we chose three categories: TIA/minor stroke [modified Rankin score (mRS)