Endovascular Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms with the WEB Device: A Systematic Review of Clinical Outcomes

Abstract

Background and purpose: Despite the improvement in technology, endovascular treatment of bifurcation intracranial wide-neck aneurysms remains challenging, mainly due to the difficulty of maintaining coils within the aneurysm sac without compromising the patency of bifurcation arteries. The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device is a recent intrasaccular braided device specifically dedicated to treating such aneurysms with a wide neck by disrupting the flow in the aneurysmal neck and promoting progressive aneurysmal thrombosis.

Materials and methods: Using several health data bases, we conducted a systematic review of all published studies of WEB endovascular treatment in intracranial aneurysms from 2010 onward to evaluate its efficacy and safety profile.

Results: The literature search identified 6 relevant studies (7 articles) including wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms in ≥80% of cases. Clinical data supporting the efficacy and safety of the WEB are limited to noncomparative cohort studies with large heterogeneity from a methodologic standpoint. The WEB deployment was feasible with a success rate of 93%-100%. Permanent morbidity (mRS of >1 at last follow-up) and mortality were measured at 2.2%-6.7% and 0%-17%, respectively. The adequate occlusion rate (total occlusion or neck remnant) varied between 65% and 85.4% at midterm follow-up (range, 3.3-27.4 months).

Conclusions: Endovascular treatment of bifurcation wide-neck aneurysms with the WEB device is feasible and allows an acceptably adequate aneurysm occlusion rate; however, the rate of neck remnants is not negligible. The WEB device needs further clinical and anatomic evaluation with long-term prospective studies, especially of the risk of WEB compression. Prospective controlled studies should be encouraged.

Fig 1.

PRISMA study flow diagram.