Partial (SAVE) versus Complete (Solumbra) Stent Retriever Retraction Technique for Mechanical Thrombectomy: A Randomized In Vitro Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Mechanical thrombectomy has become a first-line treatment for acute ischemic stroke. Several techniques combining stent retrievers and distal aspiration catheters have been described. We aimed to characterize the efficacy of 2 commonly used techniques according to clot characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Soft (mean stiffness = 95.77 [SD, 5.80] kPa) or stiff (mean stiffness = 205.63 [SD, 6.70] kPa) clots (3 × 10 mm and 2 × 10 mm, respectively) were embolized to the distal M1 segment of the MCA in an in vitro model. The technique was randomly allocated (1:1): stent retriever assisted vacuum-locked extraction (SAVE) versus complete retraction (Solumbra). The primary end point was the percentage of first-pass recanalization. Secondary end points were periprocedural distal embolization measures.

RESULTS

A total of 130 mechanical thrombectomies were performed (50 for soft clots and 15 for stiff clots per arm). Overall, the rate of first-pass recanalizaton was 35% with Solumbra and 15% with SAVE (< .01). For stiff clots, the first-pass recanalizaton was equal for both methods (27%;  = 1.00). With soft clots, the first-pass recanalizaton was higher with Solumbra (38%) than with SAVE (12%; < .01). When we used soft clots, the maximum embolus size (mean, 1.19 [SD, 0.9] mm versus 2.16 [SD, 1.48] mm; < .01) and total area of emboli (mean, 1.82 [SD, 2.73] versus 3.34 [SD, 3.2]; = .01) were also lower with Solumbra than with SAVE.

CONCLUSIONS

Clot characteristics may influence the efficacy of the thrombectomy technique. In occlusions caused by soft clots, complete retrieval into the distal aspiration catheters achieved higher rates of first-pass recanalizaton and lower embolization.