A prospective, randomized, controlled, interventional clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the medical monopoint reperfusion system for aspiration thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke patients (SUMMIT MAX): Trial rationale and design.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of large vessel occlusion (LVO) using mechanical thrombectomy with or without intravenous thrombolysis has demonstrated better outcomes compared to medical treatment alone. Large-bore aspiration catheters have been recently introduced. Their effectiveness and safety have not been demonstrated in a randomized trial. The SUMMIT MAX study is designed to address this question. METHODS: SUMMIT MAX is a randomized controlled trial where the effectiveness and safety of the large-bore Monopoint Reperfusion system (Route 92 Medical, San Mateo, CA), will be compared to the currently largest available FDA-cleared aspiration thrombectomy device the AXS Vecta Aspiration system (Stryker Neurovascular, Fremont, CA). The study is a multi-center, prospective, randomized, controlled, interventional, open label clinical trial. The hypothesis is that the effectiveness measured by the recanalization rate (modified thrombolysis in cerebrovascular infarction - mTICI) and safety measured by symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate (sICH) of the medical monopoint reperfusion system is non-inferior to the AXS Vecta Aspiration system. RESULTS: Up to 250 subjects are enrolled with at least 50% of subjects enrolled by US sites. The primary effectiveness endpoint is successful arterial revascularization defined as an mTICI score ≥ 2b after use of the assigned device adjudicated by an independent core lab. The primary safety endpoint is defined as sICH within 24 h (-8/+24) post-procedure. Secondary endpoints include successful arterial revascularization defined as a mTICI score ≥ 2b after use of the assigned device with or without adjunctive therapy; device-related serious adverse events; all asymptomatic hemorrhages; time from groin puncture to final angiogram; and rate of first pass effect defined as mTICI 2b after first pass with the assigned device stratified by age (≤85, ≥ 86). CONCLUSION: SUMMIT MAX is a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and safety of a new large bore class of aspiration devices to the currently largest FDA-cleared aspiration device available.

Optimizing thrombectomy in medium vessel occlusion: Focus on vessel diameter.

OBJECTIVES: Mechanical thrombectomy for medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) is a challenging field with limited results. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of a procedural strategy beginning with occluded vessel diameter measurement and matched aspiration catheter selection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all sequentially treated patients by mechanical thrombectomy at two comprehensive stroke centers between May 2020 and April 2023, focusing on the occluded vessel diameter. We included patients who underwent thrombectomy for MeVO based on the matching strategy (a procedural approach involving vessel diameter assessment, matching aspiration catheter selection, and firm clot engagement with or without a stent retriever). We evaluated efficacy and safety using the modified Thrombolysis in the Cerebral Infarction Scale (mTICI) and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and procedure-related complications. RESULTS: Seventy patients fulfilled the final inclusion criteria. The median occluded vessel diameter was 1.71 mm. We achieved mTICI 2b/2c/3 in 82.9% and mTICI 2c/3 in 51.4% of the cases and did not observe any symptomatic ICH. We detected asymptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in 24.3% of the cases, that is, 5.6%, 20.0%, and 45.5% in the vessel diameter groups ≥2.0, 1.5-2.0, and ≤1.5 mm, respectively. The SAH incidence was significantly higher in narrower vessel groups. The occluded vessel diameter and the contact method with clots predicted clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Matching strategy-based thrombectomy yields acceptable efficiency and safety results. In narrower vessels, it is optimal to engage matched aspiration catheters and clots without the assistance of conventional stent retrievers.

Utilizing a Guiding Catheter to Improve Endovascular Therapy Outcomes for Acute Vertebrobasilar Artery Occlusion in Patients with Tortuous Vessels.

Objective Stable and swift placement of a guiding catheter in endovascular therapies for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion is often difficult because of the tortuous bends of the vertebral or subclavian artery especially in older people. The use of a delivery assist guiding catheter (DAGC) shortens the time with stable support to deliver a therapeutic treatment catheter to the target lesions. Herein, we reported the clinical and radiographic outcomes in endovascular therapies utilizing the DAGC for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusions in actual clinical settings. Materials and Methods Between January 2018 and December 2021, 33 consecutive patients (males, 20[60.6%]; median age, 78 years) using a DAGC for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion were analyzed retrospectively. Reperfusion was graded using postinterventional angiograms based on the "thrombolysis in cerebral infarction" (TICI) classification. Furthermore, the time from puncture to recanalization and the rate of effective recanalization achievement were investigated. Results Effective recanalization with TICI 2b or 3 was achieved in 28 (84.8%) patients, and the median time from puncture to recanalization was only 44 minutes, despite the high rate of older patients in our cohort. In contrast, asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage as a complication was observed in only 3 (9.1%) patients. Conclusion The DAGC contributes to the shortening of recanalization time and improves the outcomes of endovascular therapies for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion.

Efficacy and Safety of a New Delivery Assist Catheter with a Flexible, Spindle-Shaped Shaft in Mechanical Thrombectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Large-bore aspiration catheters (ACs) are used successfully in mechanical thrombectomy (MT). However, tortuous access routes prevent device navigation because of the ledge effect. The AXS Offset Delivery Assist Catheter is designed to reduce the ledge effect. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Offset affects AC navigation compared with standard inner microcatheters in MT. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 75 MTs for anterior circulation occlusion between January 2018 and May 2022 at our hospital. All MTs were performed using an AC, and 2 types of inner microcatheter (Offset or 0.021-0.027-inch standard microcatheter) were chosen randomly during AC navigation. The patients' characteristics, MT techniques, angiographic findings, and clinical outcomes were compared between the Offset and standard group (Non-Offset). The puncture to first pass of the lesion time was investigated to compare the characteristics of the inner catheters. RESULTS: The Offset group comprised 12 patients versus 63 in the Non-Offset group. Although most baseline clinical characteristics and outcomes were similar between the groups, the puncture to first pass of the lesion time was significantly shorter in the Offset versus Non-Offset group (31 ± 10 vs. 46 ± 24 minutes, respectively; P = 0.032). In the Offset group, all stent retrievers were deployed via the Offset. One artery dissection and 8 symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages occurred in the Non-Offset group; no complications occurred in the Offset group. CONCLUSIONS: The AXS Offset delivery assist catheter permitted faster and safer navigation of various ACs to the occlusions compared with standard delivery microcatheters in MT.

Mechanical Thrombectomy in Stroke-Retrospective Comparison of Methods: Aspiration vs. Stent Retrievers vs. Combined Method-Is Aspiration the Best Starting Point?

Background: There are three main methods of mechanical thrombectomy (MT): using a stent retriever (SR) only (SO), aspiration catheter (AC) only (AO) and the combined method (CM) using both the SR and AC. This paper describes a real-life, single-center experience using SO, AO and CM during 276 consecutive MTs. Methods: The primary endpoint was the frequency of first-pass complete (FPE TICI3). The secondary endpoints were final mTICI 2b-3, procedure duration, clinical outcome and the total number of device passes. The third aim of this study was to test the association between the clinical outcomes in patients treated with each method and various factors. Results: There was a significant difference (p = 0.016) between the groups' FPE TICI3 rates with 46% mTICI 3 in the AO group, 41% in the CM group and 21% in the SO group. AO resulted in procedure time shortening to a mean duration of 43 min, and the scores were 56 min for CM and 63 min for SO (p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes or in-hospital mortality. The analysis showed a correlation between good clinical outcomes and the administration of IVT: OR 1.71 (1.03-2.84) p = 0.039. Patients ≥66 years old had higher odds of a bad outcome compared to younger patients in general (OR, 1.99 95% CI, 1.17-3.38; p = 0.011). FPE TICI3 was associated with good functional outcomes in the whole treated cohort (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.21-3.25; p = 0.006). Conclusions: In our series, AO proved to be the best starting point in most cases. It demonstrates good technical efficacy regarding FPE, it is fast and clinical outcomes seem to be the least age- and FPE TICI3-dependent. It can be easily converted into the combined method, which had the second-best outcomes in our cohort.

Coaxial Method of PTA Balloon and Aspiration catheter using the delivery wire of a stent retriever for tandem occlusion: CoMBAt tandem occlusion.

PURPOSE: Tandem occlusion, in which the intracranial artery is obstructed along with proximal carotid occlusive or stenotic lesions, occurs in 10-15% of patients with large vessel occlusion. Our study introduces a novel technique for tandem occlusion treatment that involves the simultaneous coaxial deployment of a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty balloon and aspiration catheters with the delivery wire of a stent retriever. After percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the carotid lesion with a thin balloon catheter, the aspiration catheter was advanced over the balloon to eliminate the ledge between the catheter tip and delivery wire. After balloon removal, intracranial thrombectomy was performed using an aspiration catheter and stent retriever. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of patients with acute stroke due to tandem occlusion treated using our technique were analyzed for its effectiveness and safety. The puncture-to-recanalization time, modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) grade, functional prognosis and incidence of hyperperfusion were assessed. RESULTS: Seven patients were included in this study. In all patients, mTICI 2b-3 recanalization was achieved after smooth delivery of the aspiration catheter from the carotid lesion to the intracranial thrombus. The median puncture-to-recanalization time was 52 min. Ninety days post-stroke onset, six of seven patients had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2, and none of the patients had perioperative hyperperfusion syndrome. CONCLUSION: Our technique allows simultaneous treatment of carotid and intracranial lesions, leading to faster recanalization. Furthermore, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with a thin balloon may reduce the risk of hyperperfusion.

Use of export thrombus aspiration catheter as a dual lumen catheter for antegrade LAD CTO wiring with side branch.

A 50-year-old female patient presented with class III angina for 6 months, positive stress test, and a prior CT angiogram suggestive of 3-vessel disease.

Defining the optimal size of an aspiration catheter in relation to the arterial diameter during mechanical thrombectomy for stroke.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke is effective and includes different technical approaches. Operators use direct aspiration, a stent retriever, or a combination of both. Direct aspiration can be performed with various catheters of different sizes depending on the diameter of the occluded vessel. PURPOSE: We studied the relationship between the catheter diameter in regards to the occluded vessel diameter and the rate of successful recanalization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, monocentric study on a series of consecutive patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy. For each procedure, we extracted each attempt that used direct aspiration and rated the attempt as successful or unsuccessful. We also measured the occluded artery diameter and calculated the ratio between the occluded artery and the aspiration catheter diameters. We tested the association between the diameter ratio and the recanalization status. We also performed inter-rater agreement for the arterial diameter measurement between three interventional neuroradiologists. RESULTS: We included 119 patients with 201 attempts of direct aspiration. A higher diameter ratio was associated with a higher recanalization rate. The analysis in terciles showed that the odds of success were 4.80 higher when the ratio was >0.71 vs <0.54 (p < 0.01). Inter-rater agreement showed near-perfect intraclass correlation with 0.93 (0.91-0.94) consistency and 0.92 (0.90-0.94) absolute agreement. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated an association between higher recanalization and a diameter of ratio >0.71 between the aspiration catheter and the occluded artery. These results could guide intraoperative decisions regarding the appropriate selection of aspiration catheters during mechanical thrombectomy increasing the rate of successful recanalisation. A larger study could provide additional data to further specify the optimal ratio.

Mechanical thrombectomy with a new intermediate balloon catheter combining the BGC and DAC features: Initial clinical experience with the iNedit device.

INTRODUCTION: The iNedit balloon distal access catheter is a novel thrombectomy device. It has an inner diameter of 0.058″, proximal outer diameter of 2.13 mm, and distal outer diameter of 1.67mm. It is compatible with a 0.088″ guide catheter and includes a balloon located 5 cm from the catheter tip, enabling proximal flow restriction and combined therapy with stent retrievers. We investigate the appraisal of the use, safety, and efficacy of the iNedit catheter in the first-in-human study. METHODS: In the preliminary cases that demanded training on the product previous to a multicentric study, prospective data were collected on 22 consecutive patients treated with the iNedit catheter to perform thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion within 24 h. The outcome measures consisted of several evaluations of user experience rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent), as well as assessments of procedural safety outcomes such as artery perforation and arterial occlusion, procedural efficacy outcomes including first-pass effect (Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction [TICI] 2c/3) and final recanalization (TICI 2b/3), and clinical efficacy outcomes such as a 3-month 0-2 modified Rankin Scale (mRS). RESULTS: The mean age was 72 ± 12 years old; median National Institute Health Stroke Scale was 17 (11-19). Sites of primary occlusion were: 2 internal carotid artery, 12 M1-MCA, 7 M2-MCA, and one P1. Median score evaluation of the appraisal of use was 4- IQR [4-5]. The median number of passes was 1 [IQR 1-2]. First pass complete recanalization rate was 50% and the final recanalization rate was 94.45%. No artery perforation and arterial occlusion. Good functional outcome mRS 0-2 was achieved in 50% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this initial clinical experience, iNedit device achieved a high rate of first-pass effect and final recanalization rate with no safety concerns, thus favoring a high percentage of good clinical outcomes.

Device use trends in neuroendovascular procedures in the United States from 2015 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: Neuroendovascular therapies involve an everchanging landscape of new technologies. Understanding the real-world timeframe of adaptation of such technologies can provide further guidance on mechanisms that could be employed to shorten the duration necessary for the widespread use of proven therapies. In this study, we aim to investigate the trends in the use of neuroendovascular technologies, utilizing the sales of neuroendovascular devices, as a proxy for procedural volume. METHODS: Utilizing a device sales data registry from the Decision Resources Group, a healthcare research and consulting company, we examined trends in the sales of devices utilized in cerebrovascular thrombectomy, cerebral aneurysm treatment, and carotid stenting from the same 407 reporting hospitals in the United States between January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2020. Device sales per year were plotted as both the total number of devices sold per year as well as the percent of total device sales when compared against at least one other device. The Cochran-Armitage test for trend was performed when comparing at least two devices to each other. Analyses were performed using RStudio Version 1.1.456 (https://rstudio.com). RESULTS: Between 2015 and 2020, there was a significant increase in the use of flow-diverting stents as well as nondiverting stents utilized for coil assistance. However, the total number of coils utilized over the years has declined. In terms of stroke therapy, between 2015 and 2020, there was a trend of increased use of both aspiration catheters as well as stent retrievers, which plateaued in 2020. The number of stents used for carotid procedures has also been gradually increasing over time. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates an increase in the use of flow-diverting stents, nondiverting stents, carotid stents, and reperfusion devices for acute ischemic stroke intervention between 2015 and 2020. Coil use for aneurysmal treatment has declined.

Evaluation of vessel injury after simulated catheter use in an endothelialized silicone model of the intracranial arteries.

PURPOSE: Neurothrombectomy catheters can disrupt or injure the vessel wall. This potential injury is often studied in animal or cadaver models, but prior work suggests that endothelialized silicone models may be an option for early in vitro assessment. The purpose of this work was to create a complex, clinically-relevant endothelialized neurovascular silicone model, and to determine the utility of the model for evaluating vessel injury due to catheter simulated use. METHODS: Models of the ICA and MCA were fabricated out of silicone, sterilized, coated with fibronectin, placed in bioreactors, and endothelialized with HUVECs. These silicone vessels were maintained under flow for 3 and 7 days, and cellular linings were assessed. Subsequently, 24 silicone vessels were created and treated with neurovascular catheters. Vessels were accessed with a guidewire, microcatheter, and/or aspiration catheter, either once (1-pass) or three times (3-pass). Vessels were then fixed, and injury was evaluated through quantitative image analysis and a visual scoring system. RESULTS: Complex silicone models were successfully endothelialized and maintained with consistent cell linings. The transparent silicone permitted catheter simulated use without fluoroscopy, and injury to the vessel wall was observed and successfully imaged and characterized. Vessels subjected to 3-passes exhibited more injury than 1-pass, and injury increased with the number and size of devices. These results illustrated expected trends and support use of these models for early assessment of vessel injury. CONCLUSION: Complex silicone neurovascular models can be endothelialized and used in vitro to assess and compare injury due to the use of neurovascular catheters.

Disconnection of a stent retriever's pushwire caught by an accordion-like deformed aspiration catheter during mechanical thrombectomy: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: In mechanical thrombectomy for acute large vessel occlusion, a combined technique of using both a stent retriever and an aspiration catheter has been widely used. The authors report a case in which a stent retriever's pushwire and a microcatheter were caught and disconnected by an accordion-like deformed aspiration catheter. OBSERVATIONS: A 74-year-old man underwent mechanical thrombectomy for a left M1 occlusion. A stent retriever was deployed from the left M2 to the left distal M1, and an aspiration catheter was advanced to the left distal M1. When the stent retriever and microcatheter were pulled into the aspiration catheter at the distal M1 without releasing the deflection, traction resistance of the stent retriever occurred, and the aspiration catheter contracted and deformed like an accordion distal to the tip of the guiding catheter. The stent retriever's pushwire and the microcatheter were caught and disconnected. LESSONS: When a stent retriever is pulled into a flexible aspiration catheter in a case with vascular tortuosity, it may be caught by an accordion-like deformed aspiration catheter and disconnected. It is necessary to release the deflection of the aspiration catheter once traction resistance of the stent retriever and deflection of the aspiration catheter occur.

An aspiration catheter stuck in a patient with acute coronary syndrome: an unanticipated complication.

A 62-year-old man presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Thrombectomy using an aspiration catheter was performed, but the wire lumen of the catheter had been torn during the catheter was removed. The aspiration catheter could not be retrieved into the guide catheter, and the entire system along with the guide catheter was removed.

5F SOFIA intermediate catheter in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: A retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: We herein report our experience with the 5F SOFIA (Soft Torqueable catheter Optimized for Intracranial Access) intermediate catheter for endovascular treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) both in distal middle vessel occlusions (DMVOs) and in large vessel occlusions (LVOs) with unfavorable anatomy. METHODS: Records of forty-seven patients undergoing endovascular thrombectomy with 5F SOFIA between September 2020 and March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' demographic data, clinical presentation, treatment details, and complications were recorded from the medical record. The primary outcomes were successful revascularization (modified treatment in cerebral ischemia, mTICI ≥2b) and good clinical outcome at 3 months (modified rankin scale, mRS 0-2). Secondary outcomes were complication rates and switch to alternative techniques. Our institutional review board approved this study. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients with AIS treated with 5F SOFIA were examined. In eighteen (38%) cases the occlusion was located on a large vessel while in 29 (61.7%) on a distal-medium vessels. Median national institutes of health strokes scale (NIHSS) score was 16 at admission. Successful revascularization to mTICI 2b-3 was achieved in 14 of 18 patients (77.7%) with LVOs and in 24/29 cases with DMVOs (82.7%) respectively. mRS score 0-2 at three months (3 months-mRS 0-2) was 66.6% for LVOs and 68.9% in DMVOs respectively. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) occurred in 2 (4.2%) patients. CONCLUSION: 5F SOFIA intermediate catheter could be a safe and effective treatment for AIS and a viable alternative to 6 F conventional intermediate catheters in selected cases.

Combined Use of Copernic RC Venous Remodeling Balloon and Aspiration Thrombectomy for Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a potentially fatal condition. The current first line of treatment for sinus thrombosis is anticoagulation. Endovascular treatment is an alternative for patients whose symptoms progress despite adequate medical management. Mechanical thrombectomy is required in the setting of a large clot burden. Unfortunately, the conventional technique of intraarterial thrombectomy with the use of a stent retriever and/or aspiration is not very effective in sinus thrombosis because of a larger clot burden compared to an intracranial artery. Herein we describe our endovascular approach of mechanical thrombectomy in sinus thrombosis using Copernic 8 × 80 RC (Rene Chapot) balloon and aspiration catheter.

Iatrogenic Dissection of the Left Internal Mammary Artery During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Jump Radial Artery Graft Bifurcation Disease: A Case Report.

Guide-catheter-induced ostial coronary artery dissection is a feared complication of percutaneous coronary intervention, but thankfully the incidence is low. We describe a case of catheter-induced ostial dissection of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) with multiple radial jump grafts during percutaneous coronary intervention of radial graft bifurcation disease via the LIMA. The dissection led to loss of flow and profound haemodynamic compromise and cardiac arrest as the LIMA supplied the majority of the myocardium in this patient. Intravascular ultrasound was not immediately available, so an Export AP thrombus aspiration catheter (Medtronic) was used over the coronary wire in place to allow the injection of contrast while simultaneously pulling back on the catheter to delineate the extent of the dissection and guide accurate drug-eluting stent placement. The report is a cautionary tale to the reader to treat the LIMA with respect and think long and hard before considering any interventional procedure that uses the LIMA as a conduit.

In vitro evaluation of how the presence of the stent retriever and microcatheter influences aspiration parameters in thrombectomy according to their position inside the aspiration catheter.

BACKGROUND: Several variations of the combined thrombectomy technique for acute ischemic stroke using a stent retriever and aspiration catheter have been described. The aim of our study was to assess how the presence of the microcatheter and stent retriever affect the basic aspiration parameters, namely, flow rate and aspiration force, depending on their position within the aspiration catheter. METHODS: Two experimental set-ups were designed to assess changes in flow rate and aspiration force according to the position of the stent retriever and microcatheter within the aspiration catheter. RESULTS: The transition of the stent retriever and microcatheter from the distal to proximal position resulted in a progressive increase in the flow rate, but with no impact on aspiration force. Additionally, the size of the stent retriever had no significant effect on flow rate changes and the reduction in flow rate was related to the microcatheter diameter. Negative pressure generated inside the aspiration catheter impacted on its distal segment located beyond the radiopaque marker, thus leading to its partial collapse. As a consequence, the measured aspiration force was lower than the theoretical aspiration force level for all tested aspiration catheters. CONCLUSIONS: In our experimental model, the position of the stent retriever and microcatheter within the aspirator catheter affected the flow rate, but not the aspiration force. Negative pressure generated within the aspiration catheter appeared to determine a partial collapse of the distal segment that resulted in a less effective aspiration force than the theoretical aspiration force level.

Successful recanalization of completely obstructed portal vein thrombosis after right hepatectomy for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma by aspiration thrombectomy via the ileocolic mesenteric vein and subsequent systemic anticoagulation with edoxaban.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a lethal complication of hepatectomy if not properly treated. An 81-year-old woman diagnosed with postoperative PVT after right hepatectomy and caudate lobectomy for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. Elevation of serum total bilirubin levels, D-dimer levels, and glossy ascites appeared on postoperative day 5 (POD5), and a contrast-enhanced CT confirmed PVT. Thrombi were found from the umbilical portion of the portal vein to the superior mesenteric vein. There were signs of acute liver failure due to thrombi obstructing the portal vein. Therefore, emergent catheter thrombus aspiration was performed under laparotomy. An aspiration catheter was inserted into the superior mesenteric vein from the ileocolic vein. We performed direct aspiration thrombectomy, followed by anticoagulant administration using urokinase via the catheter. Partial recanalization of the portal vein and superior mesenteric vein was observed. To dissolve residual thrombi, edoxaban administration was started on POD6. Contrast-enhanced CT 16 days after her additional operation showed the thrombi had completely disappeared. The patient was discharged on POD76. She had no recurrence of PVT over the next 6 months. Combination therapy of early intervention using aspiration catheter and systemic anticoagulant medication was useful for severe postoperative PVT accompanied with liver failure.

Effectiveness of the Digging through Thrombus Technique by Using an Aspiration Catheter and Stent Retriever for Cerebral Venous Thrombosis.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare cause of stroke, and the first-line treatment is systemic anticoagulation. Patients unresponsive to standard therapy for CVT present with rapid neurological deterioration and require endovascular treatment. We encountered two patients with severe CVT who underwent endovascular treatment. In our cases, the thrombus was too hard and extensive to pass through using currently existing techniques. We performed the "digging through thrombus technique" using an aspiration catheter and stent retriever and achieved rapid sinus recanalization and favorable outcomes.

Impact of the position of the aspiration catheter to the first pass effect during the combined technique.

The first pass effect, defined as achieving a complete recanalization with a single thrombectomy procedure, was recently established as a critical procedural performance metric for mechanical thrombectomy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the rate of the first pass effect improved when capturing the proximal end of the thrombus by aspiration catheter (CAPTAC) was achieved in mechanical thrombectomy using combined techniques. A prospectively-maintained acute stroke database was used to perform a retrospective review of patients who matched our eligibility criteria of (1) acute cardioembolic stroke, (2) middle cerebral artery (M1, M2) occlusions, and (3) treated with combined techniques as the first-pass procedure. The primary endpoint was the first pass effect. Eighty-one cases were included in the final analysis. CAPTAC was achieved in 42 cases (52%). The first pass effect was achieved more frequently in the CAPTAC group compared with the non-CAPTAC group (52% vs 18%, respectively; P = 0.001). CAPTAC was significantly higher during the period when new generation aspiration catheters were used (67% vs 43%, respectively; P = 0.04). CAPTAC was an independent predictor of achieving the first pass effect (odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-14; P = 0.001). Achievement of CAPTAC in combined techniques was associated with a significant improvement in the rate of the first pass effect. The use of the newer generation aspiration catheters may contribute to more effect treatment in combined techniques.