Aspiration thrombectomy of M2 segment in acute ischemic stroke: the clinical reality in a neurovascular reference center

Objective: Our study aimed to evaluate safety, efficacy and clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke with occlusion of M2 segment treated with thromboaspiration. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted in patients with ischemic stroke of M2 segment undergoing endovascular thromboaspiration. The time period analyzed was from October 2015 until February 2021. Thromboaspiration was performed with AXS Catalyst 5 (Stryker) or AXS Catalyst 6 (Stryker) catheters. The following parameters were assessed: risk factors for ischemic stroke, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (entry and dis-charge), pre-procedural fibrinolysis, pre-procedural and 24-h Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, recanalization time, number of passages for recanalization, Thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scale score, periprocedural complications, Modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days from procedure and mortality. Results: 90 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 75 +/- 11.1 with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at entry 13 +/- 5 and 8 +/- 4 at discharge. Pre-procedural fibrinolysis were performed in 40 patients. Pre-procedural Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score were 8.8 +/- 1.3 and 6.9 +/- 2.4 after 24 h from the procedure. Time of recanalization from onset of symptoms was 300 +/- 82 min. Number of passages for recanalization were 1.8 +/- 1.1. Thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scale score >= 2b were obtained in 90 % of procedures. After 90 days 33 % of patient obtained an Modified Rankin Scale between 0 and 1 (between 0 and 2 was 40 %). We didn't detect any complication in 64 % of cases (subarachnoid haemorrhage in 2 %, HI1 and HI 2 in 15 %, PH1 in 9 % of patients, PH2 in 6 % of patients). Conclusions: This paper confirms the usefulness and safety of thrombospiration in patients with ischemic stroke in the M2 segment with low intra-operative risks, high technical success and positive impact on the outcome of the patients.