Background: Endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms can be technically challenging in cases of wide necks or unfavorable dome-to-neck ratio. Coils deployed without supporting devices may herniate from the aneurysm sac into the parent artery, causing thromboembolic complications or vessel occlusion. Therefore, alternative strategies for managing wide-necked aneurysms have been introduced such as stent-assisted coil embolization (SAC), balloon-assisted coil embolization (BAC), and double-catheter coil embolization (DCC).
Methods: SAC, BAC, or DCC were used to treat 201 patients with 207 wide-neck aneurysms between 2008 and 2013. Initial occlusion rates, recanalization rates, and periprocedural complications were retrospectively evaluated. The mean follow-up periods for SAC, BAC, and DCC were 16.2 months, 11.6 months, and 14.3 months, respectively.
Results: Clinical and anatomical analyses were conducted in 201 patients with 207 anuerysms. Complete occlusion rates of SAC, DCC, and BAC were 63.8 %, 46.7 %, and 63.2 %, respectively, and incomplete occlusion rates were 13.4 %, 15.5 %, 10.5 %, respectively (p value = 0.798). No rebleeding or hemorrhage occurred after coil embolization. Recanalization rates did not differ among the SAC, DCC, and BAC groups (7.1 % vs. 11.1 % vs. 7.9 %, p value = 0.696). Statistically insignificant results were observed in the rate of periprocedural complications among SAC, DCC, and BAC (11.0 % vs. 13.3 % vs. 15.8 %, p value = 0.578).
Conclusions: There were no significant differences in the recurrence rate and periprocedural complication rate, and no rebleeding or aneurysmal rupture after treatment. Sufficient occlusion rates were achieved with SAC, DCC, and BAC. Notably, DCC does not require the use of antiplatelet agents and achieves coil stability without compromising the parent artery or major branch. Thus, we believe that the double-catheter technique was found to be a feasible and safe treatment modality for branching wide-neck aneurysms.