Recent studies have shown that stent retrieval devices can help patients survive strokes, and atrial fibrillation ablation surgery can prevent the fatal condition by treating its underlying cause. Now for the bad news. A study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that among patients with intracranial arterial stenosis (narrowing of an artery inside the brain), the use of a stent resulted in an increased risk of stroke in comparison to medications. "These findings do not support the use of a balloon-expandable stent for patients with intracranial arterial stenosis," the authors conclude. Study abstract | Editorial