Stent retriever versus contact aspiration in management of acute ischemic stroke: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is now widely recognized as the primary intervention for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by large vessel occlusion (LVO). MT techniques include aspiration, stent-retrieval, and a combined technique. Despite growing interest, direct comparisons of the safety and effectiveness of these techniques remain sparse; accordingly, we designed the present study to evaluate stent-retriever and contact aspiration techniques with respect to procedural safety, complication rates, and clinical, functional, and radiological outcomes. This prospective cohort investigation was carried out in the stroke unit, enrolling 100 anterior-circulation AIS patients who fulfilled the criteria for MT between March 2020 and March 2023. Patients were grouped into two cohorts: 50 received MT via a stent-retriever (Group 1) and 50 underwent contact aspiration (Group 2). Results Participants had a median age of 64 years (an interquartile range of 52.5–71.5 years), with 53% males and 47% females. The two groups did not differ significantly with regard to procedure duration ( p = 0.551), time to recanalization ( p = 0.090), National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) ( p = 0.474), Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) scores ( p = 0.461), modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores ( p = 0.841), or complication rates ( p > 0.05) at three months. Conclusion In patients with anterior circulation AIS treated with MT, contact aspiration and stent retriever techniques demonstrated comparable results in terms of functional outcomes, recanalization rates, and complication profiles at three months of follow up.