Rescue Stenting in the Severe Atherosclerotic Stenosis After the Failure of Intravenous Thrombolysis

Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide, with an annual mortality rate of approximately 5.5 million. Depending on the timing of presentation, intravenous (IV) administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator can be an effective treatment, but is most effective when used between 3 and 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Bridging thrombolysis, which describes the combination of IV thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy, can lead to long-term functional independence after 90 days with higher recanalization success rates than IV thrombolysis alone without increased risk. The HERMES meta-analysis of fve trials (MR CLEAN, ESCAPE, REVASCAT, SWIFT PRIME, and EXTEND IA) indicated the potential benefits of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in case of proximal circulation occlusions. The recanalization failure rate of this treatment, defined as a modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia (mTICI) score of 2a or worse, remained high, ranging from 13% to 29%, and most patients experienced poor clinical outcomes. Permanent stent placement has been suggested as a potential approach for achieving successful recanalization, which is the goal of endovascular therapy in the early management of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, the risk of intracranial hemorrhage associated with the combined use of IV thrombolysis and a loading dose of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) increases when rescue stenting is applied. The investigators hypothesize that stent deployment might serve as a feasible treatment for large artery occlusion after the failure of intravenous thrombolysis and bridging thrombolysis.

Inclusion criteria

• Acute ischemic stroke who underwent rescue stenting for large vessel occlusions underlying severe atherosclerotic stenosis after the failure of intravenous alteplase therapy.
• Absence of intracranial hemorrhage.

Exclusion criteria

• Premorbid modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≥ 2
• Initiation to rescue stenting beyond 24 hours after symptom onset