Journal of neurointerventional surgery
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For patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy, numerous (>3) thrombectomy passes may be harmful. However, non-recanalization leads to poor outcomes. For patients requiring multiple thrombectomy passes to achieve reperfusion, it remains unclear if the risk/benefit ratio favors recanalization. ⋯ Patients who achieve successful reperfusion after many passes have better clinical outcomes than those who do not, despite the number of passes and procedural time required. The number of passes required to achieve successful reperfusion beyond the first pass is not a predictor of functional independence.