The first clinical use of a Russian stent retriever during thrombectomy in patients with ischaemic stroke

Abstract

Introduction. Endovascular thrombectomy with stent retrievers (SR) is effectively used to treat patients with ischaemic stroke due to thrombotic occlusion of large intracerebral arteries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the ability of popular SR made overseas to grab the blood clot in vitro compared with the first Russian SR (Grasper, Angioline), as well as to analyze the first use of this SR in clinical practice. Materials and methods. A comparative assessment of different SR: Trevo ProVue (Stryker), Penumbra (Penumbra Inc.), Solitaire (Medtronic), and Grasper (Angioline) and their ability to capture a blood clot in vitro was performed. A clinical evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the Grasper SR in patients with ischaemic stroke was conducted. Results. No difference was found in the ability of the test devices to pass through torturous areas, and all devices successfully reached the target implantation zone without difficulty. The clot could be removed entirely in all cases, with no evidence of fragmentation during removal. Clinical testing of the Grasper SR demonstrated that its performance was comparable to the Solitaire SR in restoring intracerebral blood flow. Conclusion. The obtained results from the in vitro study demonstrate comparable effectiveness of the Russian SR to its counterparts. The clinical study results show that the Grasper SR can effectively and safely remove blood clots in clinical settings but requires further study on a larger number of subjects.

Keywords

• ischaemic stroke
• thrombectomy
• stent retriever