Ideal sedation for stroke thrombectomy: a prospective pilot single-center observational study

OBJECTIVESeveral retrospective studies have supported the use of conscious sedation (CS) over general anesthesia (GA) as the preferred methods of sedation for stroke thrombectomy, but a recent randomized controlled trial showed no difference in outcomes after CS or GA. The purpose of the Ideal Sedation for Stroke Thrombectomy (ISST) study was to evaluate the difference in time and outcomes in the reperfusion of anterior circulation in ischemic stroke using GA and monitored anesthesia care (MAC).METHODSThe ISST study was a prospective, open-label registry. A total of 40 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy for anterior circulation ischemic stroke were enrolled. Informed consent was obtained from each patient before enrollment. The primary endpoint included the interval between the patient's arrival to the interventional radiology room and reperfusion time. Secondary endpoints were evaluated to estimate the effects on the outcome of patients between the 2 sedation methods.RESULTSOf the 40 patients, 32 received thrombectomy under MAC and 8 patients under GA. The male-to-female ratio was 18:14 in the MAC group and 4:4 in the GA group. The mean time from interventional radiology room arrival to reperfusion in the GA group was 2 times higher than that in the MAC group. Complete reperfusion (TICI grade 3) was achieved in more than 50% of patients in both groups. The mean modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months was < 2 in the MAC group and > 3 in the GA group (p = 0.021).CONCLUSIONSThe findings from the pilot study showed a significantly shorter time interval between IR arrival and reperfusion and better outcomes in patients undergoing reperfusion for ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation using MAC compared with GA.Clinical trial registration no.: NCT03036631 (clinicaltrials.gov).

A useful diagnostic method to reduce the in-hospital time delay for mechanical thrombectomy: volume perfusion computed tomography with added vessel reconstruction

OBJECTIVEVolume perfusion CT (VPCT) with added CT angiography (CTA)-like reconstruction from VPCT source data (VPCTA) can reveal multiple intracranial parameters. The authors examined the usefulness of VPCTA in terms of reducing the in-hospital time delay for mechanical thrombectomy.METHODSA total of 180 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy at the authors' institution between January 2014 and March 2017 were divided into 2 groups: a CTA-based thrombectomy decision group (group 1: CTA) and a VPCTA-based decision group (group 2: VPCTA). Multiple time interval categories (from symptom onset to groin puncture, from hospital arrival to groin puncture, procedure time, from symptom onset to reperfusion, and from hospital arrival to reperfusion) were reviewed. All patients underwent clinical assessment with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and the modified Rankin Scale, and radiological results were evaluated by the Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score.RESULTSIn all of the time interval categories except for procedure time, the VPCTA group showed a significantly shorter in-hospital time delay during the prethrombectomy period than did the CTA group. The 3-month modified Rankin Scale score was significantly lower in the VPCTA group (2.8) compared with the CTA group (3.5) (p = 0.003). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in the other clinical and radiological outcomes.CONCLUSIONSCompared with CTA, VPCTA significantly reduced the in-hospital time delay during the prethrombectomy period.

Usefulness of contralateral carotid angiography in revascularization therapy of acute internal carotid artery occlusion

OBJECTIVE The vascular lumen of an acutely occluded internal carotid artery (ICA) generally contains numerous thrombi. Therefore, carotid angiography on the affected side during revascularization therapy of acute ICA occlusion has a potential risk of causing distal embolization. In this study the authors propose the use of contralateral carotid angiography. METHODS Six patients with acute ICA occlusion underwent revascularization therapy using a stent retriever or Penumbra system. Revascularization therapy was performed with placement of a 9-Fr balloon-guiding catheter (BGC) in the affected ICA and a 4-Fr diagnostic catheter in the contralateral ICA. During the procedure, the 9-Fr BGC was kept inflated, and all control angiography was performed from the 4-Fr diagnostic catheter. After thrombectomy, contralateral carotid angiography combined with manual aspiration from the 9-Fr BGC was performed to assess the presence or absence of residual thrombi in the affected ICA. The 9-Fr BGC was deflated only after the complete absence of residual thrombi in the affected ICA was confirmed. RESULTS The time required for introducing the 4-Fr diagnostic catheter into the contralateral ICA was within a few minutes in all patients. Residual thrombi in the affected ICA were found in 3 of 6 patients. The residual thrombi in these 3 patients were completely removed; thus, distal embolization was prevented. CONCLUSIONS Contralateral carotid angiography is useful for avoiding distal embolization during revascularization therapy of acute ICA occlusion. Further studies involving a larger number of patients are warranted to verify the clinical efficacy of this contralateral carotid angiography.

"Y-stent retriever": a new rescue technique for refractory large-vessel occlusions?

Long-awaited positive trial data have shown the efficacy of endovascular treatment in patients with ischemic stroke who arrive at the hospital within the first 6 hours with large-vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation. With the introduction of stent retrievers (SRs) for mechanical thrombectomy, efficient and safe large-artery recanalization treatment can be achieved. However, sometimes there are patients who do not attain complete flow restoration following attempts with traditional maneuvers. The authors present the case of a 57-year-old man with acute ischemic stroke due to an M₁ embolus that extended into both M₂ trunks. This patient was successfully treated with an innovative technique in which a Solitaire SR (Covidien) and a Catch SR (Balt) were used in a "Y" configuration, for which the authors coined the term "Y-stent retriever."

Novel and emerging technologies for endovascular thrombectomy

Endovascular thrombectomy device improvements in recent years have served a pivotal role in improving the success and safety of the thrombectomy procedure. As the intervention gains widespread use, developers have focused on maximizing the reperfusion rates and reducing procedural complications associated with these devices. This has led to a boom in device development. This review will cover novel and emerging technologies developed for endovascular thrombectomy.