Twenty-first century innovations in neuroradiology treatments

Table 1 Comparison of endovascular stents

Feature	Early-generation/bare-metal stents	Drug-eluting stents	Modern stents (micromesh/balloon-expandable)
Design	Large cell openings, rigid, limited conformability	Drug-eluting stents	Micron-sized pores (micromesh); high radial force (balloon-expandable)
Mechanism	Mechanical scaffolding	Reduces neointimal hyperplasia	Prevents plaque protrusion; traps debris; improves vessel expansion
Key outcomes	Associated with restenosis and increased stroke risk	Lower rates of in-stent restenosis and stroke recurrence	Lower residual stenosis and fewer complications (vs single-layer stents)
Complications	Endothelial injury; restenosis		Stroke/TIA risk varies depending on the comparison (vs self-expanding stents or medical therapy)
Evidence comparison		Better outcomes than bare-metal stents	Qureshi: Improved outcomes vs self-expanding stents; Zaidat: Worse outcomes vs medical therapy
Cost consideration			Higher cost than medical therapy; more favorable in ≥ 70% stenosis

TIA: Transient ischemic attacks.