Retrieval of a displaced detachable coil and intracranial stent with an L5 Merci Retriever during endovascular embolization of an intracranial aneurysm

Coil displacement during endovascular embolization of an intracranial aneurysm can result in significant thromboembolic complications. To avoid this problem, microsnares and other techniques have been developed to retrieve a lost foreign body in the cerebral circulation. The Merci Retriever (Concentric Medical, Inc., Mountain View, CA) is an FDA-approved device for clot removal in the intracranial vessels. Modifications to its original design have enhanced this device not only for embolectomy but also for intravascular foreign body retrieval. To our review, we report the first use of an L5 Merci Retriever to evacuate a displaced detachable endovascular coil and intracranial stent during aneurysm treatment.