Long-term benefit of thrombectomy in massive ischemic stroke

Randomized trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with massive ischemic stroke. But what about long-term results? This randomized, controlled Phase 3 clinical trial, conducted in 31 hospitals worldwide, enrolled patients aged 18 to 85 with massive ischemic stroke. They were randomly assigned within 24 hours of stroke onset to medical care alone or endovascular thrombectomy combined with medical care. Thrombectomy significantly improved the modified Rankin Scale score at 1 year, compared with medical care alone. At 1 year, 77 of the 170 patients who underwent thrombectomy had died, compared with 83 of the 159 who received medical care alone.