Combined Use of Contact Aspiration and the Stent Retriever Technique Versus Stent Retriever Alone for Recanalisation in Acute Cerebral Infarction

Combined contact aspiration/SR is performed using a balloon-guide catheter (BGC). A 0.021 to 0.027 inch inner lumen microcatheter with a 0.014 to 0.016 inch micro-wire inside is introduced into a large-bore aspiration catheter and this construct is introduced into BGC. The BGC is placed into the origin of the cervical internal carotid artery (ICA). The catheter is advanced past the thrombus over the micro-wire to allow the SR deployment. The SR is deployed across the occlusion. Then the large bore distal access catheter is advanced to contact the proximal edge of the SR. The aspiration pump is connected to the large bore distal access catheter. After at least 90 sec, the SR and the large bore distal access catheter are pulled out as an unit from the BGC and the patient. Manual aspiration is also be applied to the BGC during the pull-out manoeuver which is performed after the temporary inflation of the balloon at the tip of the BGC to ensure flow arrest into the carotid

"The technique used should be in accordance with the device instruction for use. A large bore balloon guide catheter has to be placed into the cervical ICA.~A suitable delivery microcatheter is navigated over a micro-wire into the occluded major coronary artery MCA and across the occlusion. A control superselective angiogram may be used to document the extent of occlusion and thrombus. The stent retriever device is then deployed across the occlusion.~After at least 90 seconds, removal should occur with proximal occlusion by inflation of the balloon guide catheter."