Forecasts for neurointerventions in acute stroke

Over the past two decades, one could witness the advent and significant expansion of the neurointerventional armamentarium targeting management of acute stroke. In mid-1990s, endovascular coiling embolization tools and techniques for treatment of cerebral aneurysms and AVMs (arterio-venous malformations) were introduced as a less invasive alternative to craniotomy-based surgery in primary prevention of hemorrhagic stroke. Several years later, these techniques were supplemented with coil-containing stents, which enabled treatment of large, giant, and wide-neck aneurysms.

Over the past two decades, one could witness the advent and significant expansion of the neurointerventional armamentarium targeting management of acute stroke. In mid-1990s, endovascular coiling embolization tools and techniques for treatment of cerebral aneurysms and AVMs (arterio-venous malformations) were introduced as a less invasive alternative to craniotomy-based surgery in primary prevention of hemorrhagic stroke. Several years later, these techniques were supplemented with coil-containing stents, which enabled treatment of large, giant, and wide-neck aneurysms. The latter was followed by the launch of stent-based flow diversion systems, which allowed clinicians to hemoisolate such aneurysms without tedious and risky coil packing of the rupture-prone aneurysmal sac.

In primary ischemic stroke prevention, development of embolically-protected carotid stenting and left atrial appendage closure techniques provided clinicians with an option of using non-inferior transcatheter tools instead of customary surgical interventions.

Finally, a recent launch of the novel stent-based cerebral thrombectomy systems manifested a qualitative breakthrough in emergent treatment of acute cerebral ischemia, where marginally effective and severely caseloads restrictive intravenous tPA therapy represented the only available therapeutic option.

Presently, endovascular techniques are increasingly seen and used by practicing clinicians as preferred therapeutic modalities in prophylaxis and treatment of acute stroke and are likely to expand their role in the years to come.

Based on the industry reporting and other estimates, in 2014, approximately 227.3 thousand cerebral endovascular therapeutic procedures were performed worldwide. Prophylaxis of ischemic stroke via carotid artery stenting and left atrial appendage (LAA) closure with contributed 91.2 thousand and 11.9 thousand interventions (or 40.1% and 5.2%, accordingly), followed by transcatheter embolization of intracranial aneurysm and AVM for hemorrhagic stroke prevention with 90.5 thousand interventions (or 39.8%), and cerebral thrombectomy-based emergent treatment of acute cerebral ischemia with 33.7 procedures (or 14.8% of the total).

Geographically, Western Europe and the U.S. accounted for the largest shares of corresponding cerebrovascular interventions in 2014, with 35.7% and 35.0%, accordingly, followed by major APAC states with 19% and rest-of-the-world with the remaining 10.3% of the total procedures performed.

Source: MedMarket Diligence, LLC; Report #C310.