Endovascular interventions for acute stroke: past practice and current research

Introduction The way clinical care and research are currently conceived is entangled in multiple problems. While the problems are universal, nowhere were they more painfully experienced than in the acute care of patients with severe stroke. While we are celebrating that we now possess evidence that patients can benefit from endovascular interventions, we should not miss the opportunity to review the difficult path that led to this point and reflect on how it could be improved. A narrative review of the past and current status of care and research in endovascular treatment of acute stroke may serve to expose the problems and potential solutions. Past practice For more than 25 years, rescue endovascular interventions were offered to selected patients using a vast array of drugs and devices not designed for that purpose with little success, at least in the early years.1 Occasionally, a Lazarus experience...

Source: Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery - July 12, 2017 Category: Neurosurgery Authors: Raymond, J., Ghostine, J., Khoury, N., Roy, D., Darsaut, T. E. Tags: Ischemic stroke Commentary Source Type: research