Detection and Treatment Guide Updated 2017 Detection-and-Treatment-2017 | Page 21

Stents
Devices called stents are sometimes
used in coiling. A stent is a small wire
mesh tube that is placed inside the
parent artery at the site of the aneurysm
to cover the neck of the aneurysm,
which helps keep the coil(s) inside the
aneurysm sac. These devices can be
particularly helpful for aneurysms with
wide necks, or for large aneurysms that
in the past were difficult to treat with an
endovascular approach.
The stents are usually made of nitinol,
a high-grade metal alloy of nickel and
titanium. The stent is placed in the same
manner as the coils (via a catheter in an
artery in the groin) at the time of the
coiling procedure or sometimes as a
separate treatment.
If you have a stent placed, you will need
to be on one or more antiplatelet (mild
blood thinner) medicines such as aspirin,
clopidogrel, or others for several weeks.
Your doctor will review this with you
Stent
Aneurysm with stent in place.
Coils put in place after stent.
In some cases, a balloon is temporarily inserted to keep coils inside the aneurysm.
Balloon
20