Mechanical clot retrieval for treating acute ischaemic stroke

The procedure

Mechanical clot retrieval aims to restore normal blood flow, using a device to remove the blood clot from the artery. The patient first has cerebral angiography (a procedure using dye and X‑rays that shows how blood flows through the arteries in the neck and brain) to see where the blood clot is.

The procedure is usually done with the patient under sedation, but sometimes general anaesthetic is used. A thin tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery, usually in the groin, and moved towards the site of the clot. The clot retrieval device is inserted through the catheter. Different devices and methods have been used to remove blood clots. The most commonly used device is called a stent retriever, which traps and removes the clot. The aim is to remove the clot as soon as possible, within a few hours of the stroke.