Abstract
The benefit of mechanical thrombectomy over intravenous thrombolysis was definitively proved by several studies in 2015. It is relevant for proximal, large artery occlusions in the anterior circulation with onset of clinical symptoms lasting 6 hours.
Two trials published in 2018 showed that in patients who are selected using CT perfusion or MR diffusion weighted imaging, thrombectomy significantly improves outcome even up to 24 hours from onset. The benefit of the vertebrobasilar circulation, where occlusion of large arteries occurs in 7 % cases, has not been proved by randomised studies yet.
However, mechanical thrombectomy is performed in this arterial territory because of very poor prognosis of nonrecanalized occlusions there. Patients with acute ischemic stroke should be transferred to comprehensive stroke centres.
These centres should provide parenchymal CT imaging and CT arteriography. These two modalities provide sufficient information to determine eligibility for endovascular treatment in the first 6 hours from stroke onset.
Physicians performing endovascular therapy of stroke must be properly trained in clinical neuroscience, neuroimaging and neurointerventions. Success rate of this therapy depends on its organization which includes fast transport of patients, fast clinical and diagnostic evaluation, fast decisions, and availability of trained interventional team.