title: Intracranial stents for treatment of acute ischemic stroke: evolution and current status.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intravascular stents have been applied to treat a variety of pathophysiologic conditions. With advances in stent design and delivery, stenting has become a viable treatment option in neurovascular disease. Recently, intracranial arterial stenting has received increasing interest as a modality to rapidly and effectively recanalize affected vessels in the setting of acute ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  To examine the potential of stenting procedures for stroke, we compiled and analyzed relevant experimental and clinical studies in the available databases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our resulting discussion covers the brief history of stents, from their initial inception in the 1960s, to the developments of interventional cardiology, and finally to the treatment of acute occlusions of the neurovasculature. We also detail technological advances that have improved stent delivery to intracranial arteries and review the several clinical studies that feature stenting for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Numerous clinical studies have revealed that stents are a quick and efficacious endovascular tool for acute ischemic stroke treatment. It appears likely that issues regarding design, safety, and feasibility of stent-based devices will experience further improvement and refinement, and from fruitful criticism of existing technologies and techniques, along with lessons from past mistakes, will arise safer and more effective devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Velat
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Elad I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Hoh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mocco
mesh_terms: D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D002548:Cerebral Revascularization; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D015607:Stents; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*