Safety and Clinical Effectiveness of Pipeline Shield Device for Intracranial Aneurysms in an Australian Cohort (SCOPE‐AUS)

Background The Pipeline Flex Embolization Device (PED) with Shield Technology (PED‐Shield) is a third‐generation flow diverting stents with surface modification designed to reduce platelet adhesion and thrombogenicity. We report the long‐term safety and effectiveness of the PED‐Shield in the treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms in an Australian cohort. Methods SCOPE‐AUS (Safety and Clinical Effectiveness Of Pipeline Shield Embolization Device for Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms in Australia) is a multicenter, single‐arm, retrospective study of patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with the PED‐Shield flow diverting stents at 3 high‐volume neurointervention centers in Australia between May 1, 2015, and June 30, 2018, evaluating safety and efficacy. The primary outcome was neurologic adverse event or neurologic‐related death at 1 year, and the secondary outcome was long‐term complete aneurysm occlusion. Results A total of 238 patients (mean age 55.8±11.0 years, 73.1% [174/238] female) and 278 aneurysms were treated via 247 procedures. Two (0.7%) aneurysms were retreated during the 18‐month follow‐up. Overall occlusion rates at 18 months or at last follow‐up imaging were 92.5% (233/252). There were 35 (14.7%) total primary end point events. The 12‐month neurologic morbidity and mortality rates were 3.8% (9/238) and 1.3% (3/238), respectively. For the subgroup of internal carotid artery aneurysms, mortality (0.7%) and morbidity (2.0%) rates were low, and the complete occlusion rate was 92.5% (147/155). Conclusions In this multicenter study, which includes a wide variety of both distal bifurcation and proximal unruptured intracranial aneurysms, the occlusion rates and safety outcomes of the PED‐Shield flow diverting stent demonstrate a high proportion of complete aneurysm occlusion, extremely low retreatment rates, and low complication rates.