The short- and long-term efficacies of endovascular interventions for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the short- and long-term efficacies of endovascular interventional therapy in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 94 patients with AIS were recruited and divided into a control group (n=51) that was administered intra-arterial thrombolysis and an observation group (n=43) that was administered Solitaire stent thrombectomies. The postoperative recanalization and overall response rates were recorded in both groups. The hemodynamic parameters (high shear viscosity, low shear viscosity, plasma viscosity, and hematocrit), and the C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and fibrinogen levels were compared between the two groups before and after the treatment. In addition, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and the modified Rankin Scale scores were analyzed before the treatment and at 1 and 3 months after the treatment in both groups. After a 3-year follow-up, a survival analysis was also performed using the Kaplan-Meier survival method.

RESULTS

The overall response and recanalization rates were higher in the observation group than they were in the control group (P<0.05). Before the treatment, there were no significant differences in the hemodynamic parameter, C-reactive protein, interleukin, 6 and fibrinogen levels in the two groups (P>0.05). After the treatment, the above levels in both groups decreased compared to their levels before the treatment, and the observation group had significantly lower levels than the control group (P<0.05). Moreover, no significant differences were seen in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin Scale scores between the two groups before the treatment (P>0.05). After the treatment, the above scores were decreased in both groups at 1 and 3 months compared to their pre-treatment levels, and the scores were significantly lower in the observation group than they were in the control group at 1 month after the treatment (P<0.05). After a 3-year follow-up, the Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that the survival times were significantly longer in the observation group than they were in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Solitaire stent thrombectomy markedly ameliorates neurological deficits in AIS patients, improves their recanalization rated, regulates the inflammatory response and hemodynamics in the lesion areas, thus exerting favorable short- and long-term clinical effects.