Intracranial endovascular balloon test occlusion-indications, methods, and predictive value.

The balloon test occlusion is one method by which surgeons evaluate whether a patient will be able to tolerate permanent occlusion of an extracranial or intracranial vessel. This article discusses the indications, methods, predictive value, and complications of the balloon test occlusion. It also briefly describes the Wada test in the context of preoperative evaluation of patients who are candidates for temporal lobectomy.