Outcomes After Intracranial Rescue Stenting for Acute Ischemic Stroke

In cases of failed recanalization despite modern mechanical thrombectomy (MT) techniques, intracranial rescue stenting (RS) may be beneficial. However, outcomes and complications of RS relative to the natural history of ongoing emergent large vessel occlusion are unknown. To evaluate whether RS for ongoing emergent large vessel occlusion after failed MT achieves superior outcomes to the natural history of persistent emergent large vessel occlusion.

Patients from the Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry who underwent RS after failed MT from 2014 to 2019 were analyzed. For outcome comparisons, patients were screened for inclusion/exclusion criteria of 3 major randomized, controlled MT trials.

Over 5 years, 2827 patients underwent thrombectomy, of which 120 required RS for failed revascularization. RS resulted in reperfusion (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction≥2B) in 85.8%. Good 90-day clinical outcomes (modified Rankin scale 0-2) were achieved in 33.9% of patients. Inclusion/exclusion criteria was met in 50 patients for MR CLEAN (Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands), 64 patients for ESCAPE (Endovascular Treatment for Small Core and Proximal Occlusion Ischemic Stroke), and 45 patients for DAWN (DWI or CTP Assessment With Clinical Mismatch in the Triage of Wake-Up and Late Presenting Strokes Undergoing Neurointervention). Of patients meeting trial criteria, 40.8% of the RS cohort achieved modified Rankin scale 0-2 versus 19% in the MR CLEAN medical arm (P<0.001) and 27% versus 13% in the RS versus DAWN medical arm (P=0.04). There was no difference in RS versus the ESCAPE medical arm (P=0.15). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was not significantly increased after RS compared with MR CLEAN (P=0.06), but was increased compared with DAWN.

This large retrospective registry of RS for failed MT suggests that RS in trial-eligible patients yields significantly improved outcomes over failed revascularization, with no significant increase in hemorrhagic events in early thrombectomy windows and comparable outcomes to successful thrombectomy at early and intermediate timeframes.