Ischaemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in Australia. Ischaemic stroke occurs when a blood clot (often originating from the heart or diseased atherosclerotic vessels) is dislodged and travels to arteries in the brain. The blood clot can block an artery stopping blood supply to the portion of the brain supplied by this artery.
Traditionally this type of stroke had been treated with medications aimed at dissolving the clot, which is often an effective treatment for smaller blood clots. In recent years effective endovascular techniques have been developed for large blood vessels occluded with a large amount of blood clot.
The procedure is called endovascular clot retrieval (or mechanical thrombectomy). Although not all cases of stroke are suitable for this form of treatment, the procedure has been proven highly effective in decreasing disability from stroke in a select group of patients.
The procedure is performed via the femoral or radial artery. Multiple small catheters are navigated through the arteries to the site of occlusion in the brain. A small stent-like device is then deployed with the aim of ‘catching’ the clot. The stent is then pulled out of the artery, pulling the clot with it, reopening the blood vessel and restoring normal blood supply back to the brain.