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OBJECTIVE: Balloon-mounted coronary stents (BMCS) have been adapted for use in the intracranial circulation for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial atheromatous disease (ICAD). We performed a retrospective analysis of our 7-year experience with these devices in an attempt to quantify the periprocedural risks and long-term outcomes in patients with symptomatic ICAD of the vertebrobasilar (VB) system treated with BMCS.

METHODS: A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed to determine the neurological and non-neurological periprocedural risks of BMCS treatment of ICAD. Patients were followed with serial transcranial Doppler (TCD) and, in some cases, angiographic imaging. The clinical status was determined based on clinic visits and by telephone interviews when possible.

RESULTS: Over the 6-year period from March 1999 to May 2005, 44 patients (35 men, 9 …