RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Initial experience using the 3MAX cerebral reperfusion catheter in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke of distal arteries JF Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery JO J NeuroIntervent Surg FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. SP 787 OP 790 DO 10.1136/neurintsurg-2015-011798 VO 8 IS 8 A1 Pedro Navia A1 Jose-Angel Larrea A1 Edurne Pardo A1 Ana Arce A1 Maite Martínez-Zabaleta A1 Noemí Díez-González A1 Eduardo Murias A1 Luis-Alfonso Arráez-Aybar A1 Javier Massó YR 2016 UL http://jnis.bmj.com/content/8/8/787.abstract AB Introduction The advancement of technology has allowed the development of new catheters that may provide safe intracranial navigation.Objective To report our first experience with the direct aspiration first pass technique in small arteries as the primary method for recanalization with the Penumbra 3MAX cerebral reperfusion catheter.Methods A retrospective case series analysis study of patients with acute ischemic stroke endovascularly treated with the direct aspiration technique using the 3MAX reperfusion catheter in our hospital in the past year.Results We treated six patients in our hospital for acute ischemic stroke using the 3MAX aspiration catheter as first choice. The patients had a median National Institutes of Health Strokes Scale (NIHSS) score of 12 (range 10–17) at admission, with occlusions of an M2 segment of a middle cerebral artery (MCA) treated through an anterior communicating artery, pericallosal artery, P2 artery, and M2-MCA and M3-MCA arteries. Recanalization (TICI 2b–3) was achieved in all cases and no complications occurred. It was not necessary to combine treatment with a stent retriever in any of the patients. All the patients showed early neurological improvement. The median NIHSS score at discharge was 1 (0–3) and 5/6 (83%) patients had a modified Rankin Scale score 0–2 at discharge.Conclusions Our initial experience suggests that treatment of distal cerebrovascular occlusions with the 3MAX catheter is feasible. We achieved complete recanalization in all cases without unexpected complications while obtaining good clinical results. However, larger studies are necessary to establish its benefits and its safety.