Temporary Stent Procedure Improves Stroke Recovery

A removable stent system for people suffering from strokes improves neurologic outcomes and reduces mortality, according to a new study.

Researchers at the at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU; Portland, USA) conducted the Solitaire with the Intention for Thrombectomy (SWIFT) trial ,which compared clot removal using the Solitaire Flow Restoration Device, a new stent retriever, to the traditional clot removal intervention for strokes. The interventional procedure was performed on more than 140 stroke patients at 18 medical centers throughout the United States; all patients were within eight hours of suffering an acute ischemic stroke caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain, often caused by a blood clot.


During the procedure, a catheter was used to guide the Solitaire device from the groin area to the brain. The flow restoration device, which is made of platinum-titanium mesh, expands the interior walls of the artery and allows blood to flow to the patient's brain immediately to prevent as much brain damage as possible. The clot seeps into the mesh of the stent retriever device, and both are removed together after five minutes, clearing the clot from the blood vessel. In the traditional procedure, on the other hand, a corkscrew-like device is twisted into the clot and the clot is gently pulled out.

The study results showed that compared to the traditional retriever device, the new stent retriever resulted in more people who had an excellent neurological outcome--33% with the corkscrew procedure compared to 56% with the stent. It also resulted in fewer people dying from their strokes--17% with the new stent versus 38% with the corkscrew device. The study was presented at the American Stroke Association (ASA) annual conference, held during February 2012 in New Orleans (LA, USA).

“This device represents an exponential improvement in stroke therapy,” said study coauthor Stanley Barnwell, MD, PhD, an associate professor of neurological surgery and diagnostic radiology at OHSU. “The results, in regards to opening plugged-up brain arteries and allowing full recovery in a large number of these patients, are outstanding. Interestingly, this device is one of the easiest to use and safest of all the devices now used to treat stroke.”

The Solitaire Flow Restoration Device, developed by EV3 (Plymouth, MN, USA) is a mechanical thrombectomy device combining the ability to restore blood flow, administer medical therapy, and retrieve clots in patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke.

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Oregon Health & Science University
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