Efficacy and safety of an early Solitaire stent retrieval technique for acute ischemic stroke.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of early pull-back of a Solitaire stent as a thrombectomy device in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS: The study group comprised 23 consecutive cases presenting with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with intra-arterial therapy using the Solitaire device as a first-line endovascular procedure. The stent was deployed to cover the thrombus and then left in place for 1-2 min. Immediate angiographic results are presented. Neurologic status was assessed according to the NIH Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score.

RESULTS: Successful recanalization (TICI grade ≥ 2b) was achieved in 21 of the 23 (91.3 %) treated vessels, and 6 of the patients showed immediate flow restoration after the deployment of the first stent. The mean number of passes for maximal recanalization was 1.96. There were no symptomatic procedure-related complications. Of the cases, 34.8 % improved by >10 points on the NIHSS at discharge; 30.4 % of cases revealed good functional outcome (mRS score 0-2) at 90 days.

CONCLUSIONS: The early retrieval technique with the Solitaire stent appears to be a safe and effective method in patients with acute ischemic stroke.