Stenting Treatment for Aneurysms and Stroke

With the development of small, flexible stents and catheters, treatment options for head and neck vascular conditions have expanded in recent years.

At UVA, a team of interventional neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons and neurologists is on the leading edge. They’re using stents as part of the full range of treatment options offered for intracranial vascular disease (disorders that impact the blood flow in the arteries and veins that supply the brain).

Patients with aneurysms and stroke can benefit from these stent procedures.

Aneurysm Treatment

The stent is placed across the base of an aneurysm. It acts like scaffolding, making it possible to place small coils that are used to embolize, or obstruct, the aneurysm.

Combining the stents with the coils has greatly expanded the number of aneurysms that can be treated without surgery, says Neal Kassell, MD, Professor of Neurosurgery. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of aneurysms can be treated through this minimally invasive technique.

Stroke Treatment and Prevention

Stenting is also a valuable option for the treatment team at UVA's Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center, says Karen Johnston, MD, MSc, Chair of UVA's Department of Neurology.

"Having neurointerventional therapies available at UVA in addition to best medical and surgical therapies allows the Stroke Center team to have one more treatment option to consider," Johnston says. "We can therefore individualize our patient care even more effectively and find the ideal therapy for each patient."

UVA's stroke team - including board-certified stroke neurologists, neurointensivists, emergency department physicians, interventional neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons and specially trained stroke care nurses - is on call 24/7 to quickly provide appropriate treatment for stroke patients, which is key to providing the best outcomes.