Anesthesia for Endovascular Approaches to Acute Ischemic Stroke

Involvement of the Anesthesiologist in the early stages of care for acute ischemic stroke patient undergoing endovascular treatment is essential. Anesthetic management includes the anesthetic technique (general anesthesia vs sedation), a matter of much debate and an area in need of well-designed prospective studies. The large numbers of confounding factors make the design of such studies a difficult process. A universally agreed point in the endovascular management of acute ischemic stroke is the importance of decreasing the time to revascularization. Hemodynamic and ventilatory management and implementation of neuroprotective modalities and treatment of acute procedural complications are important components of the anesthetic plan.