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 ¼ .02 and P ¼ .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.ABBREVIATIONS: ACA ¼ anterior cerebral artery; RDPD ¼ regional diameter percentage difference; RR ¼ Raymond-Roy score; SAC ¼ stent-assisted coiling; SBT ¼ stent bulging technique; SCA ¼ superior cerebellar artery S tent-assisted coiling (SAC) is a safe and effective option in the treatment of wide-neck intracranial aneurysms. The stent provides a scaffold for the neointima formation and prevents coil protrusion into the parent artery. In addition, intracranial stents may result in the development of hemodynamic changes inside the aneurysm, which may lead to further aneurysm occlusion. These hemodynamic changes relate to the type (braided versus laser-cut stents), the number of stents, and the technique of stent deployment. 1,2 In some patients, SAC with a single stent may not provide sufficient neck coverage, and in these cases, dual stent placement in an X or Y configuration may be necessary. Dual stent placement is technically more challenging than basic SAC and is known to be associated with an increased rate of thromboembolic complications. [3][4][5][6] The stent bulging technique (SBT, also known as the shelf technique) has bee...