A Single Flow Re-direction Endoluminal Device for the Treatment of Large and Giant Anterior Circulation Intracranial Aneurysms

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the author's experiences in treating large (10-25 mm) and giant (>25 mm) intracranial aneurysms (IAs) using a single Flow Re-direction Endoluminal Device (FRED) without assistant coiling, with a focus on procedure-related complications. Materials and Methods: A total of 33 patients who were treated with FRED between January 2018 and July 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The timing of procedure-related complications was chronologically categorized as acute (within 7 days), subacute (8 to 21 days), and delayed (after 21 days) periods. Follow-up angiography was performed at 2 to 27 months (mean 9.7 months), and clinical follow-up was performed at 1 to 31 months (mean 14.1 months) in all patients. Results: Six (18.2%) patients experienced procedure-related complications, including 2 (6.1%) in acute period, 1 (3.0%) in subacute period, and 3 (9.1%) in delayed period. Thromboembolic complications occurred in 5 (15.2%) patients and hemorrhagic complications in 1(3.0%). Permanent morbidity and mortality rates were 3.0% each. Non-internal carotid artery (ICA) location of IAs (odds ratio 6.532; 95% confidence interval, 1.335-17.816; p=0.034) was the only independent risk factor for procedure-related complications on multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: The procedure-related complication rate was 18.2% in this study. Procedure-related complications might increase when treating large and giant IAs located on a non-ICA, especially on the middle cerebral artery. Therefore, it may be suggested that neurointerventionists and endovascular neurosurgeons should pay attention to the location of IAs when treating large and giant IAs with a single FRED.