Interventional neurovascular disease: avoidance and management of complications and review of the current literature.

There has been a substantial increase in the number of neuroendovascular procedures performed over the last 15 years. Although rare, complications of cerebral angiography and neuroendovascular procedures have the potential to be devastating. Fortunately, dedication to careful patient selection, meticulous attention to technical detail, and standardization of endovascular treatment protocols results in an acceptably low complication rate. Factors that may predispose one to complications with cerebral angiography include age, smoking, functional stats, medical comorbidities, and duration of the procedure. The most common complication of angiography is vascular access site complication, with a rate of up to 5%. The overall neurologic complication rate for diagnostic angiography is 1.3-2.6%, with a permanent neurologic deficit rate of 0.14-0.50%. Neuroendovascular interventions are more invasive, take longer to perform, and have higher rates of complication. Procedure specific complications include aneurysm rupture, arterial dissection, stroke, hemorrhage, thromboembolism, and microembolism, and rates of neurologic deficit are higher than those for diagnostic angiography. With knowledge of the common complications, strategies to minimize them, and a meticulous attention to the technical detail of the procedure, complications of neuroendovascular interventions can be minimized.