Device profile of the Wingspan Stent System for the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic disease: overview of its safety and efficacy

Introduction: This Wingspan Stent is a self-expanding, laser-cut, nitinol stent designed for the treatment of severe symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis to be used in conjunction with the Gateway angioplasty balloon. This review will describe the technical features of the stent, its composition, design, and functional characteristics, as well as an overview of its safety and efficacy. Areas covered: The engineering and manufacturing specifications are described for the stent. A systematic review of the literature from 2005 to 2019 is performed to define the safety profile of the stent as an implant for cerebral artery revascularization, stroke prophylaxis, and acute stroke treatment. These reports are compared to the published reports of patients with similar characteristics treated with medical therapy alone. Expert opinion: Although prior off-label studies have shown variable results, recent on-label studies have shown that the Wingspan stent itself is very safe, with low complication rates, and that it may confer long-term benefits in stroke prevention compared to medical therapy alone. Provided that established guidelines are followed, the Wingspan stent is effective in cerebral artery revascularization, and improves clinical outcomes in acute large vessel occlusive stroke with underlying intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis.