Flow reversal during stroke thrombectomy

Interv Neuroradiol. 2024 Mar 15:15910199241238252. doi: 10.1177/15910199241238252. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTWhen performing mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients, some physicians use balloon guide catheters (BGCs) in order to achieve flow reversal and thereby improve reperfusion quality. There is substantial evidence favoring the use of BGCs to improve reperfusion rates and clinical outcomes for thrombectomy patients; however, as we will outline in this review, there is also evidence that BGCs do not achieve reliable flow reversal in many circumstances. Therefore, if we are able to modify our techniques to improve the likelihood of flow reversal during thrombectomy maneuvers, we may be able to further improve reperfusion quality and clinical outcomes. This paper provides an overview of concepts on this topic and outlines some potential techniques to facilitate flow reversal more consistently, including a method to visually confirm it, with the aim of making iterative improvements towards optimal reperfusion for stroke patients.PMID:38489832 | DOI:10.1177/15910199241238252

Source: Interventional Neuroradiology - March 15, 2024 Category: Radiology Authors: James Caldwell Shane S H Lee Mikal Sarrafzadeh Dave S Rhodes Ben J McGuinness Source Type: research