Expanding the stroke team to include interventional cardiology.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiology
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Team-based care is crucial for complex conditions like large vessel cerebral occlusion (LV0).
• Mechanical embolectomy is the standard of care for LVO, but specialists are limited.
• Patient transfers for LVO treatment cause delays, reducing reperfusion success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential role of interventional cardiologists in mechanical embolectomy for LVO.
• To explore strategies for improving acute stroke care in centers with limited specialist coverage.

Main Methods:

• Single-center experience analysis.
• Review of patient transfer cases for LVO.

Main Results:

• Approximately 50 patients with LVO were transferred out despite available expertise.
• Transfer strategies led to delays in reperfusion.
• Interventional cardiologists possess relevant skills (carotid interventions) for embolectomy.

Conclusions:

• Trained interventional cardiologists can perform rapid revascularization for LVO.
• Expanding the role of cardiologists in stroke care teams can save lives.
• Carotid stent-trained cardiologists should be supported in learning mechanical embolectomy for acute stroke care.