Evaluation of Pipeline Flex delivery system for the treatment of unruptured aneurysms

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Refinements in endovascular technology have revolutionized the treatment of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) with the development of flow-diversion technology. The first generation of the Pipelin Embolization Device (PED) has demonstrated its safety and efficacy. However, the deployment technique was a difficult task that often led to complex maneuvers. The Pipeline Flex Embolization Device (PED Flex) is the second generation and its introduction has arrived with high expectations due to a completely redesigned delivery system that intends to overcome deployment difficulties seen in the previous generation.Areas covered: Preclinical studies, mechanism of action of flow-diverters, technical aspects and deployment system of the PED Flex, and clinical outcomes with both PED generations.Expert commentary: Flow diversion has allowed us to treat lesions that would be otherwise challenging for surgical clipping or unsuitable for other endosaccular strategies. Although the experience with PED Fl...