First-Attempt Performance Compared for Types of Stent Retrievers in Mechanical Thrombectomy

August 8, 2023—“Impact of Stent Retriever Tip Design on Distal Embolization during Mechanical Thrombectomy—A Randomized In Vitro Evaluation,” a study showing that different types of stent retriever tips may result in improved patient outcomes when performing mechanical thrombectomy to treat stroke, was presented at SNIS 2023, the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s 20th annual meeting held July 31 to August 4 in San Diego, California.

The study’s lead author is Jiahui Li, PhD, who is a biomedical engineer at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, and a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

According to the SNIS press release, investigators in Spain created a model of the brain arterial system and used several types of stent retrievers (open tip, closed tip, and filter tip) to remove the blood clot simulants. The investigators simulated 50 mechanical thrombectomies per each type of stent retriever. They reported that the filter-tip stent retriever allowed them to fully retrieve the clot simulant in one try on 44% of attempts, compared to 16% for open-tip retrievers and 20% for closed-tip retrievers.

“It’s essential to continuously refine devices and techniques to improve stroke treatment,” commented Dr. Li in the SNIS press release. “Each clinical scenario demands specific tools and treatment approaches. Hopefully, this research will aid in evaluating the suitability of different devices for each stroke case, thus giving patients a better chance at recovery and functional independence.”