By Saadia Aslam
Mechanical thrombectomy has proven to be the best treatment option for ischemic stroke patients, but it is not widely available. When a catheter-based thrombectomy program was initiated in an experienced cardiac cath lab in close cooperation between cardiologists, neurologists, and radiologists, outcomes were comparable to those of neuroradiology centers. The desired clinical results were achieved from the onset of the program, without any signs of a learning curve effect. These findings support the potential role of interventional cardiac cath labs in the treatment of acute stroke in regions where this therapy is not readily available due to the lack of neurointerventionalists.
Source: Sulženko J, Kožnar B, Peisker T, Vaško P, Vavrová J, Štětkářová I, Widimský P. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv. 2021 Apr, 14 (7) 785–792. doi: 10.1016/j.jcin.2021.01.025.
Hornung M, Sievert H. Editorial: It Is Time to Fight Ischemic Stroke the Best Possible Way JACC Cardiovascular Interv 2021 Apr 12;14(7):793-795. doi: 10.1016/j.jcin.2021.02.017.
Read more at the Journal of the American College of Cardiology
