Endovascular stroke therapy: A single-center retrospective review

Object Endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke delivers direct therapy at the site of an occluded cerebral artery and can be employed beyond the 3–4.5-hour window limit set for intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. In this paper, the authors report their experience with various endovascular therapies in acute ischemic stroke. Methods The authors conducted a retrospective review of their clinical database for acute ischemic stroke in large-vessel cerebral territories that underwent endovascular treatment between May 2005 and February 2009. Endovascular treatment was defined as pharmacological and/or mechanical intervention, angioplasty, stenting, or a combination of these methods. Admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and the modified Rankin Scale scores were recorded. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) scores of 0, 1, 2A, 2B, and 3 were used to define recanalization. Results Forty procedures were performed in 39 patients, with 1 patient having sequential bi...