Complication of Stenting in Intracranial Arterial Stenosis.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the perioperative complications and long-term restenosis rates following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS).

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 102 ICAS patients (103 cases of stenosis) who underwent PTAS. The perioperative complications and long-term restenosis rates were analyzed.

RESULTS: The success rate of PTAS was 100%. Six patients (5.83%, 6/103) had perioperative complications. Six cases (6.52%, 6/92) of restenosis occurred and one patient (1.09%) died. Five of the 6 restenosis cases (5.43%) occurred in the blood-supplying region and were associated with ischemic symptoms and one patient (1.09%) had no ischemic symptom. The postoperative restenosis rates at 6, 6 - 12, and 12 - 74 months were 3.26%, 2.56%, and 2.38%, respectively. The postoperative restenosis rates had a significant difference between the residual stenosis rate ≥ 20% and < 20% (P < 0.05), and between postoperative regular medication and non-regular medication (P < 0.05). The postoperative restenosis risk in patients with age ≥ 60 years was 13.481 times to that in patients with age < 60 years. The postoperative restenosis risk in patients with residual stenosis rate < 20% was 31.25 times to that in patients with residual stenosis rate ≥ 20%. The postoperative restenosis risk in patients with regular medication was 12.65 times to that in patients without regular medication.

CONCLUSIONS: The vasospasm, arterial dissection, arterial occlusion and acute thrombosis are common perioperative complications following PTAS in patients with ICAS. The medium- and long-term postoperative restenosis rate is low. Age is the risk factor for postoperative restenosis.