Comparison of Aspiration versus Stent Retriever Thrombectomy as the Preferred Strategy for Patients with Acute Terminal Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is no consensus on endovascular treatment for terminal ICA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the comparative safety and efficacy of preferred aspiration thrombectomy and stent retriever thrombectomy for revascularization in patients with isolated terminal ICA occlusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with terminal ICA occlusion treated with aspiration thrombectomy or stent retriever thrombectomy in our center, from September 2013 to November 2018. To minimize the case bias, propensity score matching was performed. The primary outcomes were successful reperfusion defined by expanded TICI grades 2b–3 at the end of all endovascular procedures and puncture-to-reperfusion time.

RESULTS: A total of 109 consecutive patients with terminal ICA occlusion were divided into the aspiration thrombectomy group (40 patients) and the stent retriever thrombectomy group (69 patients), and 30 patients were included in each group after propensity score matching. The proportion of complete reperfusion was significantly higher in the aspiration thrombectomy group (OR 4.75 [95% CI, 1.10–1.38]; P = .002). The median puncture-to-reperfusion time in the aspiration thrombectomy group was shorter than that in the stent retriever thrombectomy group (38 versus 69 minutes; P = .001). Fewer intracerebral hemorrhage events were recorded in the aspiration thrombectomy group (OR 0.29 [95% CI, 0.09–0.90]; P = .028). No significant differences were observed for good outcomes (OR 1.92 [95% CI, 0.86–4.25]) and mortality (OR 0.84 [95% CI, 0.29–2.44]) at 90 days.

CONCLUSIONS: For the treatment of terminal ICA occlusion, aspiration thrombectomy was technically superior to stent retriever thrombectomy in the absence of a balloon guide catheter in achieving successful reperfusion with shorter puncture-to-reperfusion time and procedure-related adverse events.