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15/02/2024 - Press release

Efficacy of the new generation of stents to treat cerebral aneurysm validated

A study by Hospital del Mar and Hospital General de Catalunya shows that this new type of device is three times more effective than previous models in completely closing the aneurysm. Moreover, in a safe way. It is published in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery.

The new generation of stents for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms is more effective and safer, according to a study by Hospital del Mar and Hospital General de Catalunya that has just been published in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery. In fact, they are three times more effective, with practically no complications.

The work has compared the capacity of the new FREDX stents, manufactured by MicroVention, a company based in the United States, with the previous generation, FRED. It was based on data from 287 patients treated for 385 aneurysms (more than seventy patients had more than one lesion), between January 2016 and June 2023. The Therapeutic Neuroangiography services of the two participating centers, as well as the Neurology Service of the Hospital del Mar and the Neurovascular Research Group of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute participated in the study.

Dr. Leopoldo Guimaraens, head of the center's Therapeutic Neuroangiography Service, points out that "the FRED was a very good device in the treatment of complex cerebral aneurysms; however, its new design, the FREDX, has clear advantages due to its greater ease of navigation, which facilitates placement and repositioning, especially in complex arterial anatomies". In addition, "the results are better, since they facilitate faster aneurysm thrombosis and, therefore, healing associated with fewer complications, especially thrombotic ones".

Compared to the previous generation of stents, the new designs are coated with a polymer that reduces the risk of thrombus. In fact, in the population studied, almost no adverse events occurred. In addition, the ability to completely close the aneurysm one year after the intervention was increased. The success rate increased from less than 60% to almost 80%, eliminating bleeding after the procedure. This is the first study with real-life data carried out in the world with this particular type of device.

"The FREDX device represents a new option for the endovascular treatment of complex aneurysms that cannot be approached in any other way. It is changing the approach to this pathology, with efficacy and safety that have been demonstrated in our study," explains Dr. Ángel Ois, assistant physician at the Neurology Department of the Hospital del Mar and researcher at his research institute. It is a tool reserved only for those cases that cannot be treated by other endovascular techniques or neurosurgery.

Aneurysm or subarachnoid hemorrhage is a type of cerebral hemorrhage that poses a high risk to the patient's life in case of rupture. It is a pathology that can sometimes be confused with a headache or cephalea, a fact that delays its diagnosis (one in four cases is diagnosed late, according to a previous study by the Hospital del Mar), a fact that can affect the recovery of the people who suffer it. In Catalonia it is estimated that there are more than 700 cases each year.

Reference Article 

Guimaraens L, Saldaña J, Vivas E, et al. J NeuroIntervent Surg. 16 January 2024. doi:10.1136/jnis-2023-021103 o Guimaraens?L, et?al. J NeuroIntervent Surg 2024;0:1-7. doi:10.1136/jnis-2023-021103

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