• Reuben Grech, Adrian Mizzi, Richard Pullicino, John Thornton, and Jonathan Downer.
• Medical Imaging Department, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta reubengrech@yahoo.com.
• Neuroradiol J. 2015 Apr 1; 28 (2): 152-71.

Background And PurposeIntra-arterial therapy for acute ischaemic stroke has evolved rapidly in the last few years. Stent retrievers have now replaced 'first-generation' devices, which have been the principle devices tested in stroke trials.Our aims were to determine the rates of successful recanalization and functional independence in acute stroke patients treated with stent retrievers. We also sought to assess the safety outcomes of stent retrievers by assessing the rates of mortality and intra-cranial haemorrhage.Materials And MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies which utilized stent retrievers as sole treatment or as part of a multi-modal approach in acute ischaemic stroke.ResultsWe identified 20 eligible studies: 17 on Solitaire (ev3/Covidien, Irvine, California, USA) (n = 762) and three on Trevo (Stryker, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA) (n = 210). The mean age of participants was 66.8 (range 62.1-73.0) years and the M:F ratio was 1.1:1. The average stroke severity score (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)) at presentation was 17.2. The weighted mean symptom onset to arterial puncture and procedural duration were 265.4 minutes and 54.8 minutes, respectively.Successful recanalization was achieved in 84.5% of patients with a weighted mean of 2.0 stent retriever passes. Independent functional outcome was achieved in 51.2% and the mortality rate was 16.8%.ConclusionStent retrievers have the potential to achieve a high rate of recanalization and functional independence whilst being relatively safe. They should be assessed in well-designed randomized controlled trials to determine their efficacy and assess whether they compare favourably with 'standard treatment' in stroke.© The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

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