Navien catheter experience in neuroendovascular interventions.

Purpose Advancements in catheter technology have allowed for greater flexibility and trackability. We report 265 consecutive, single-center neurointerventional cases using the Navien guide catheter. Materials and methods Retrospective analysis was performed of consecutive intracranial endovascular procedures utilizing the Navien catheter. Data collected included procedure type, catheters, guide catheter position, cervical access artery tortuosity grade and complications. Results The 5 French catheter was used in 130 cases. The 6 French catheter was used in 135 cases. Access was via the internal carotid artery in 204, external carotid artery in 10, and vertebral artery in 51 cases. Catheter tip position was in the petrous segment of the internal carotid artery in 36.6% (97/265), distal cervical internal carotid artery in 13.9% (37/265), cavernous internal carotid artery in 10.2% (27/265), proximal or mid cervical internal carotid artery in 5.6% (15/265), supraclinoid internal carotid artery in 0.8% (2/265), and intradural vertebral artery in 0.8% (2/265) of cases. Catheter position was not determined in 18.9% (50/265) of cases. Proximal vessel tortuosity (grade B or C) was present in 98 cases (37%), and the catheter was tracked distal to the tortuosity in 93% (91/98) of these cases. The overall success rate without catheter complication was 97% (258/265). The Navien was replaced by another catheter in 1.9% (5/265) of cases. There was one cervical artery dissection (0.4%) and one severe vasospasm (0.4%) necessitating Navien removal. Conclusions The Navien guide catheter provided distal access support for neuroendovascular interventions in nearly all cases, including cases with proximal artery tortuosity, with a low rate of catheter-related complications.

Stent retrieval thrombectomy in acute stoke is facilitated by the concurrent use of intracranial aspiration catheters.

BACKGROUND: New device technology has changed the techniques used for revascularization of emergent large vessel occlusion in acute stroke. We report technical results using stent retrievers (SRs) for thrombectomy alone versus SRs used in conjunction with a new group of devices, intracranial aspiration catheters (IACs). Our aim is to demonstrate differences in procedural time and thrombectomy attempts between these two groups. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was performed of a prospectively maintained database of 97 patients treated at a single institution for anterior circulation stroke with SRs. Patients were divided into two groups, a combination group defined as the SR/IAC group and the SR alone group defined as the SR group. RESULTS: Patients in the SR/IAC group had a mean age of 66 years vs 59 years in the SR group (p=0.008). Mean presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores in the SR/IAC and control groups were 18.7 and 18.2, respectively (p=0.50). Recanalization rates (Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (TICI) 2b or 3) in the SR/IAC and SR groups were 85% (58/68) and 90% (26/29), respectively (p=0.41). Mean time from groin arteriotomy to recanalization was 50±3.6 min (range 19-136) in the SR/IAC group (n=59) and 61±6.6 min (range 28-140) in the SR group (n=27) (p=0.049). The total number of thrombectomy attempts in the SR/IAC and SR groups were 1.9±0.1 (range 1-4) and 2.5±0.6 (range 1-6), respectively (p=0.009). Post-procedural subarachnoid hemorrhage was seen in 15% (10/68) and 10% (3/29) of cases in the SR/IAC and SR groups, respectively (p=0.41). CONCLUSION: When using SRs for intracranial stroke thrombectomy, the concurrent use of IACs is associated with a decrease in procedural time and thrombectomy attempts compared with use of SRs alone.