Comparison of the Aperio Hybrid and Solitaire FR/X stents for anterior circulation stroke thrombectomy across different time periods: A propensity score-matched analysis of recanalization and symptomatic hemorrhage.

IntroductionThrombectomy has become the standard treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by large vessel occlusions (LVOs). The Aperio Hybrid (Acandis, Pforzheim, Germany) is a new stent retriever designed to enhance the effectiveness of this treatment. However, this new stent has not yet been compared to other thrombectomy devices in a clinical setting. The aim of this study was to compare the Aperio Hybrid with the Solitaire™ FR/X (Medtronic, Minneapolis, USA) during thrombectomy in patients with AIS due to anterior circulation LVO.Materials and methodsWe analyzed data from a multicenter registry of thrombectomy for anterior circulation LVO. Patients with carotid/M1 or proximal M2 occlusions who underwent thrombectomy with either the Aperio Hybrid or Solitaire™ FR/X were compared using propensity-score matching (PSM). The primary outcome was the recanalization rate, measured by the Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia (TICI) score of 2b-3, while the secondary outcome was the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH).ResultsAmong 455 patients treated, after PSM, 258 patients (129 per group) were analyzed. The adjusted recanalization rates (TICI 2b-3) for the Aperio Hybrid and Solitaire FR/X were 79.8% and 75.9%, respectively ( = .08), while the adjusted sICH rates were 6.9% and 6.2%, respectively ( = .80).ConclusionsIn this observational study on thrombectomy for AIS, the Aperio Hybrid and Solitaire FR/X demonstrated similar rates of recanalization and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. However, due to significant selection bias, these results should be interpreted with caution.