RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Performance and training standards for endovascular ischemic stroke treatment JF Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery JO J NeuroIntervent Surg FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. SP 10 OP 12 DO 10.1136/jnis.2009.000687 VO 1 IS 1 A1 Writing Group for the American Academy of Neurology, AANS/CNS Cerebrovascular Section, Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery, and the Society of Vascular & Interventional Neurology A1 P M Meyers A1 H C Schumacher A1 M J Alexander A1 C P Derdeyn A1 A J Furlan A1 R T Higashida A1 C J Moran A1 R W Tarr A1 D V Heck A1 J A Hirsch A1 M E Jensen A1 I Linfante A1 C G McDougall A1 G M Nesbit A1 P A Rasmussen A1 T A Tomsick A1 L R Wechsler A1 J R Wilson A1 O O Zaidat YR 2009 UL http://jnis.bmj.com/content/1/1/10.abstract AB Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Japan. According to the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, there are now 750 000 new strokes that occur each year, resulting in 200 000 deaths, or 1 of every 16 deaths, per year in the USA alone. Endovascular therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke is an area of intense investigation. The American Stroke Association has given a qualified endorsement of intra-arterial thrombolysis in selected patients. Intra-arterial thrombolysis has been studied in two randomized trials and numerous case series. Although two devices have been granted FDA approval with an indication for mechanical stroke thrombectomy, none of these thrombectomy devices has demonstrated efficacy for the improvement of patient outcomes. The purpose of the present document is to define what constitutes adequate training to perform neuroendovascular procedures in patients with acute ischemic stroke and what performance standards should be adopted to assess outcomes. These guidelines have been written and approved by multiple neuroscience societies which historically have been directly involved in the medical, surgical and endovascular care of patients with acute stroke. The participating member organizations of the Neurovascular Coalition involved in the writing and endorsement of this document are the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery, the American Academy of Neurology, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Cerebrovascular Section, and the Society of Vascular & Interventional Neurology.