Efficacy and safety of an early Solitaire stent retrieval technique for acute ischemic stroke.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of early pull-back of a Solitaire stent as a thrombectomy device in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

The study group comprised 23 consecutive cases presenting with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with intra-arterial therapy using the Solitaire device as a first-line endovascular procedure. The stent was deployed to cover the thrombus and then left in place for 1-2 min. Immediate angiographic results are presented. Neurologic status was assessed according to the NIH Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score.

RESULTS

Successful recanalization (TICI grade ≥ 2b) was achieved in 21 of the 23 (91.3 %) treated vessels, and 6 of the patients showed immediate flow restoration after the deployment of the first stent. The mean number of passes for maximal recanalization was 1.96. There were no symptomatic procedure-related complications. Of the cases, 34.8 % improved by >10 points on the NIHSS at discharge; 30.4 % of cases revealed good functional outcome (mRS score 0-2) at 90 days.

CONCLUSIONS

The early retrieval technique with the Solitaire stent appears to be a safe and effective method in patients with acute ischemic stroke.