Abstract WMP82: National Trends In Endovascular Therapy For Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease 2008-2019

Introduction: Endovascular therapy is a treatment option for patients with severe symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). The utilization of angioplasty and stenting has varied since the development of stents for this disease in 2005. This study assesses the longitudinal trends for endovascular treatment of ICAD in the U.S. Methods: We performed a data search from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database using ICD9 and ICD10 procedure codes from 2008 through 2019. Data was collected for patients with stroke from ICAD who underwent stenting or angioplasty alone. We also assessed the utilization of stenting or angioplasty in thrombectomy cases for large vessel occlusion (LVO), the use of drug eluting stents, patient demographics, regional trends, length of stay, and mortality statistics. Results: Between 2008 and 2019, the nadir of ICAD stenting cases in the U.S. was in 2011 (n=242). There was over a 207% increase in stenting cases in 2015 (n=730), and another increase of 47% in ICAD stenting in 2018 and 2019 (2018=965, 2019=1,175). There was a significant increase in stenting for ICAD over the entire study period (p=0.003). The data also shows a significant increase in the use of stenting as adjunctive therapy to thrombectomy for LVO. In 2011, stenting with thrombectomy in LVO represented 17.8% (43/242) of patients stented with stroke from ICAD. In 2019, these cases represented 48.1% (565/1,175) of the patients stented. Over the study period, this increase in stent use during LVO treatment was significant (p<0.001). Angioplasty alone for ICAD in non-occluded vessels has not significantly changed (p=0.289). Angioplasty as an adjunct to thrombectomy for LVO has steadily increased over the past 10 years, with 94 cases in 2008 and 210 cases in 2019, representing a 123% increase. Conclusion: There has been a progressive increase in stenting for ICAD since the nadir of this procedure in 2011 which is statistically significant. This increase was seen in patients with severe symptomatic ICAD, but also in patients undergoing thrombectomy for acute LVO with ICAD. Positive clinical stenting trials such as WEAVE and the post-hoc analysis from SAMMPRIS, and the increase in endovascular therapy for LVO appear temporally related to these changes.