Pre-Interventional 3D-Printing-Assisted Planning of Flow Disrupter Implantation for the Treatment of an Intracranial Aneurysm

Intrasaccular flow disrupter devices (ISFD) have opened up new ways to treat intracranial aneurysms but choosing the correct size of ISFD can be challenging. We describe the first use of 3D printing to assist in the choice of ISFD, and we report an illustrative case. We developed a technique that uses preoperative angiography to make a plastic model of the aneurysm. We tested the deployment of different sizes of intrasaccular flow disruptor on the 3D model under fluoroscopy. The best devices were then used as the first-line strategy to treat the patient. The preoperative 3D printing helped in the successful selection of a first-line ISFD, which was not the one recommended by the manufacturer. Three-dimensional printing can provide interesting information regarding the treatment of intracranial aneurysms using ISFD. Further studies are needed to fully assess its benefits.

Automated summary

This study used 3D printing to assist in choosing the size of intrasaccular flow disrupter devices (ISFD) for treating intracranial aneurysms. The preoperative 3D printing helped in selecting the correct ISFD and successfully treating the patient. Further research is needed to fully assess the benefits of using 3D printing in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.