Clinical and Angiographic Outcomes of Intracranial Aneurysms Treated with Low-Profile Braided or Laser-Cut Stents: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

To compare the embolization outcomes and complications of the LEO Baby and Neuroform Atlas stents in the endovascular treatment of intracranial wide-neck aneurysms. We identified patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with LEO Baby (n=163) or Atlas (n=65) stent-assisted coiling between October 2018 and February 2023. A retrospective analysis of demographics, aneurysm characteristics, embolization outcomes, and procedure-related complications was performed. Propensity score matching analysis with a ratio of 1:2 was used to balance the patient selection bias that existed between the two cohorts. Compared to the Atlas cohort, the LEO Baby cohort had a higher rate of immediate successful embolization (95.6% vs. 78.5%, P<0.001) and a lower rate of incomplete embolization at midterm follow-up (4.0% vs. 18.6%, P=0.006), but there was no significant difference for either after matching for a 1:2 propensity score (P=0.091 and P=0.081, respectively). Procedure-related complications were 10.4% (17/163) in the LEO Baby cohort and 7.7% (5/65) in the Atlas cohort. At midterm angiographic follow-up, recanalization occurred in 0.8% (1/124) of the LEO Baby cohort and 4.7% (2/43) of the Atlas cohort. Complication and recanalization rates for both stents were not statistically different before (P=0.701 and P=0.332, respectively) and after (P>0.999 and P>0.999, respectively) propensity score matching. Both LEO Baby and Atlas are safe and effective in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms, and they are similar in terms of aneurysm embolization outcomes and complication rates.