Stent Retriever versus Contact Aspiration in Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke; Egyptian Experience

Abstract Background Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become the standard treatment in patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). It can be classified into thrombo-aspiration, stent-retrieval, and aspiration-retriever combined technique. The evidence on the optimal therapy with acceptable outcomes of safety and efficacy is still limited. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare between stent retriever versus aspiration techniques in MT regarding procedural safety and incidence of complications. Methods This prospective cohort study was conducted at Ain Shams University Hospitals, Egypt. One hundred patients admitted to stroke unit with anterior circulation AIS who met inclusion criteria for MT were recruited over three years from March 2020 to March 2023. The included patients were divided into two groups: group one included 50 patients treated with stent retriever and group two included 50 patients treated with contact aspiration thrombectomy. Results The median (IQR) for age was 64 (52.5 – 71.5) years. 53 (53%) were males and 47 (47%) were females. No significant difference was found between the compared techniques regarding procedure time (p-value=0.551), time to recanalization (p-value=0.090), thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score (TICI) (p-value=0.461. Conclusion Among patients with ischemic stroke in anterior circulation undergoing MT, contact aspiration and stent retriever were comparable regarding successful recanalization rate.