Ischemic stroke patients who were treated with the surgical removal of a clot fared better than patients who were treated with medications such as intravenous thrombolytics alone, according to a new study published in Radiology.
Ischemic strokes caused by clots that disrupt the flow of blood to the brain are the most common type of stroke. Mechanical thrombectomy is the name of the procedure to surgically remove clots that cause strokes, and there is often very specific criteria used to determine who is a candidate for this procedure. The location of the clot, the severity of stroke symptoms, and the person’s overall health are among the things considered.
High-potency thrombolytics medications such as alteplase (tPa) must begin within a specific window of time after stroke symptoms. After that, other thrombolytics like intravenous heparin can be given, but the study found that direct removal of the clot was more effective than treatment with these medications alone.
The study acknowledges that people with larger clots have historically been considered too high risk for mechanical thrombectomy, and ended up wheelchair bound, bedridden or dead. However, in the study group that was spread across 31 different medical institutions around the world, almost 20% of the patients treated with surgical thrombectomy were able to return to their pre-stroke level of independence. Another 40% were able to walk without assistance after the treatment. In comparison, only about 7% of the patients treated with medications alone were able to return to their baseline level of function.
The study authors revealed that they hoped their findings would be used to update stroke management guidelines and improve overall outcomes for stroke patients.
