Safety of balloon angioplasty for symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis

Abstract

Objective A recent randomized controlled trial suggested that aggressive medical management was superior to angioplasty for symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. But it still had its flaws. This study investigated the perioperative safety of balloon angioplasty for symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. Methods Twenty-eight patients with severe symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis were treated by balloon dilatation alone from May 2016 to May 2019. The success rate, complications, modified Rankin scale (mRS) and follow-up data were evaluated. Results Twenty-six of 28 patients underwent balloon angioplasty successfully with a success rate of 92.86%. Immediate distal stenosis perfusion was more than Modified Thrombdysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) grade 2b. Stent-assisted angioplasty was used in the other 2 cases. No complications related to worsening clinical symptoms occurred in 28 patients after operation and 30 d of follow-up. There were 10 patients whose modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was 1 on the 30th day after operation, and the other 18 patients' mRS score was 0. Conclusions Balloon angioplasty is relatively safe in the perioperative period of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. Stent-assisted angioplasty is a technique used when balloon angioplasty is ineffective.

DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2019.10.008