Article Text
Abstract
Background and purpose Prompt recanalization of occluded brain arteries in patient victims of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is associated with a better clinical outcome. Several trials have assessed the efficacy and safety of intra-arterial (IA) mechanical thrombectomy combined with intravenous (IV) administration of thrombolytic drugs in the therapy of AIS. The aim of this work is to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of Solitaire™ FR (SFR) (ev3 Inc, Irvine, California, USA) as a revascularization device in the treatment of AIS in combination with IV administration of thrombolytic drugs.
Materials and methods Data from 21 patients treated with SFR within 7 h of AIS symptom onset in the setting of a prospectively defined IV–IA combined therapy were analyzed.
Results SFR was successful in achieving complete recanalization in 19 patients (90.4%) with a final score of 3 according to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction classification (TIMI). Partial recanalization (TIMI 2) was obtained in one patient (4.7%). Treatment failure was observed (TIMI 0) in one patient (4.7%).
Four adverse events were recorded (21%): two intraprocedural thromboembolic events (10.5%) and two symptomatic intracranial hemorrhagic infarctions (10.5%). One patient died during the hospitalization due to massive brainstem infarction.
Marked improvement of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale from baseline to 24 h after recanalization was obtained in 12 patients (57.1%).
Conclusions SFR was effective in achieving a high rate of complete artery recanalization with a low rate of complications. SFR may be considered a promising tool for endovascular cerebral thrombectomy.
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Footnotes
Competing interests AB—eV3.