Interventional Thrombectomy for Major Stroke — A Step in the Right Direction

Intravenous thrombolytic therapy is the only proven treatment for acute ischemic stroke, but its use is limited by a brief time window of up to 4.5 hours after the onset of symptoms1 and a recanalization rate of less than 50%. Large clots in vessels such as the distal internal carotid artery or the first segment of the middle cerebral artery respond poorly to intravenous thrombolysis.2 The need for a treatment for patients who do not have a good response to intravenous treatment alone remains pressing.On the basis of compelling anecdotal experience, stroke specialists had hoped that transvascular recanalization would . . .