Consulting Radiologists, Ltd. and Abbott Northwestern Hospital announce new brain aneurysm study
MINNEAPOLIS, December 1, 2014 –Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Consulting Radiologists, Ltd. (CRL) are enrolling patients in a new study involving an investigational device to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the WEB™ Aneurysm Embolization System.
The device, created by Sequent Medical, was created to serve patients who suffer from brain aneurysms with extra wide openings (also known as wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms). These patients can be difficult to treat with currently available minimally invasive technology.
The current method of inserting tiny metal coils into this type of aneurysm doesn’t work well in all cases. This study will determine if the WEB system is an effective alternative to coiling for this type of aneurysm.
The WEB consists of a tiny wire mesh basket with a diameter roughly equal to that of a Number 2 pencil eraser. During the procedure, in which the catheter is threaded through the arteries and into the brain, the WEB is placed inside the aneurysm.
The device is being tested to see if it can reduce and eventually eliminate the blood flow within the aneurysm, allowing the aneurysm to heal and seal off.
“If proven to be efficacious, this could be an exciting new technology that expands the horizon of endovascular brain aneurysm treatment, particularly of wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms, which until now, required stent assistance for treatment,” said Josser Delgado, M.D., a CRL neurointerventional radiologist at Abbott Northwestern.
In addition to Dr. Delgado, his partners and fellow CRL neurointerventional radiologists, Benjamin Crandall, D.O. and Yasha Kadkhodayan, M.D., will also perform WEB procedures.
The WEB study is intended to support previous trials for the device, which includes three European prospective, multicenter studies, 15 peer-reviewed clinical publications, and nearly 1,000 patients – primarily in Europe – treated with the new device. The WEB is an investigational device in the U.S. and this study will serve as the basis for FDA approval.
About Abbott Northwestern Hospital:
Abbott Northwestern Hospital has one of the nation’s busiest and most sophisticated neurointerventional radiology programs with three full-time neurointerventional radiologists provided by CRL and a 25-year history of excellence. Abbott Northwestern is part of Allina Health and dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin.