Flow diversion: a disruptive technology coming of age. Lessons learned and challenges for the future

Intracranial aneurysm treatment has been revolutionized over the last decade with the development of flow diversion technology. The use of this technology has evolved rapidly and has proven that cerebrovascular disease treatment remains one of the forefront innovation areas in neurosurgery. The good results on the treatment of internal carotid artery aneurysms up to the communicating segment have motivated the use of flow diversion beyond the circle of Willis and in the posterior circulation. Further advances and innovations of flow-diverting devices are underway and intended to improve the safety and efficacy of this therapy. This review article provides a detailed discussion about the origin, mechanism of action, initial experience, complications, types of devices, and future perspectives of flow diversion technology.