Stentriever Thrombectomy Failure: A Challenge in Stroke Management

Stentriever thrombectomy failure in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by anterior circulation large artery occlusion is not a rare event. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether other procedures (tirofiban, permanent stenting) are able to recanalize the occluded vessel and determine a better outcome without increasing mortality and intracranial hemorrhage rates.

Among 513 patients consecutively admitted with anterior circulation stroke, 109 underwent stentriever thrombectomy. Modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia (mTICI) 2b-3 recanalization was achieved in 60 patients (55.0%, group 1). Only 3 of 19 patients (group 2) obtained additional recanalization with intra-arterial infusion of tirofiban. The remaining 46 either underwent permanent stenting (n = 23, group 3) or were left nonrecanalized (n = 23, group 4). The rate of mTICI 2b-3 and clinical outcomes were analyzed in the different groups.

A successful recanalization (mTICI 2b-3) was achieved in 17 patients of group 3 (73.9%). A significantly better outcome was observed in group 3 (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score, 0-2) than in group 4 at 3 months (56.5% vs. 17.4%). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates were not different between group 3 and group 4 (4.3% vs. 4.3%), whereas there was a significantly higher mortality in group 4 than in group 3 (39.1% vs. 4.3%). On multivariate analysis, permanent stenting was the only factor independently associated with favorable outcome and mortality.

Permanent stenting might be a feasible solution in patients with acute large artery occlusion after stentriever thrombectomy failure.