Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of bridging thrombectomy and direct thrombectomy in patients with acute anterior circulation large core infarction.Methods:A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed; 131 patients with acute anterior circulation large core infarction with an onset time≤ 24 hours received endovascular treatment (EVT) at Department of Intervention Neurosurgery, Nanyang Central Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, from June 2022 to June 2024 were chosen; they were divided into bridging thrombectomy group (accepted intravenous thrombolysis [IVT] before EVT, n=55) and direct thrombectomy group ( n=76). Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the differences in efficacy and safety between the two groups. Efficacy indicators included modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 90 days after thrombectomy, and good prognosis rate 90 days after thrombectomy (mRS scores of 0-2). Safety indicators included intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) incidence within 72 hours of thrombectomy, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) incidence within 72 hours of thrombectomy, mortality 90 days after thrombectomy, and ratio of patients receiving decompressive craniectomy after surgery. Results:No significant difference between the direct thrombectomy group and bridging thrombectomy group was noted in terms of mRS score 90 days after thrombectomy (3 [2, 6] vs. 3 [2, 6]), good prognosis rate 90 days after thrombectomy (38.2% vs. 25.5%), ICH incidence within 72 hours of thrombectomy (30.3% vs. 40.0%), sICH incidence within 72 hours of thrombectomy (21.1% vs. 21.8%), mortality rate within 90 days of thrombectomy (28.9% vs. 25.5%), and ratio of patients receiving decompressive craniectomy after surgery (9.2% vs. 9.1%, P>0.05). Core infarction volume at 100 mL was used as grouping standard, subgroup analysis showed that when the core infarction volume was 70-100 mL and >100 mL, respectively, no significant difference in sICH incidence was noted between the bridging thrombectomy group and direct thrombectomy group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:For patients with acute anterior circulation large core infarction with an onset time≤ 24 hours, bridging thrombectomy has similar efficacy and safety as direct thrombectomy.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of bridging therapy and direct thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by basilar artery occlusion within 4.5 h.Methods Retrospective consecutive patients with acute basilar artery occlusion stroke within 4.5 h of onset admitted to five centers from January 2018 to August 2024 were included and divided into a bridging therapy(intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase given prior to emergency endovascular treatment)group and a direct thrombectomy group according to the treatment modality.Baseline and clinical data were collected from patients,including age,sex,systolic and diastolic blood pressure on admission,past history(including history of hypertension,diabetes mellitus,coronary artery disease,atrial fibrillation,hyperlipidemia,and history of stroke),history of smoking,pre-morbid modified Rankin scale(mRS)scores,National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score on admission,posterior circulation Alberta stroke program early CT score on admission,basilar artery CT angiography score,history of pre-procedural antiplatelet aggregation medications,history of pre-procedural anticoagulant medications,choice of arterial puncture access(via femoral or radial artery),site of vascular occlusion(proximal basilar artery,mid-basilar artery,distal basilar artery),trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment(TOAST)classification,American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology collateral circulation classification,time from onset to admission,time from admission to puncture,time from puncture to revascularization,time from onset to revascularisation,type of embolisation procedure(stenting,aspiration,and combined),immediate post-procedure extended thrombolysis in cerebral infarction(eTICI)classification,and intra-procedural related complications(arterial entrapment,distal occlusion and arterial perforation).The main efficacy indicators(good prognosis[mRS score 0-3 90 d postoperatively],death[mRS score 6 90 d postoperatively],and good recanalisation[eTICI grade ≥2b50]within the immediate postoperative period)and safety indicators(incidence of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage[sICH]within 7 days post-procedure)were compared between the two groups.The two groups were matched 1∶1 using propensity score matching(PSM)to compare differences in effectiveness and safety indices before and after PSM.Variables with P＜0.05 in the baseline and clinical data comparison between the two groups were included in multifactorial Logistic regression analysis for correction,the differences in safety and efficacy between the two groups were compared before and after correction.Results A total of 206 patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by basilar artery occlusion within 4.5 h of onset were included,comprising 151 males and 55 females.The age ranged from 26 to 93 years old,with an average of(65±13)years old.Among them,101 patients(49.0％)were in the bridging therapy group and 105(51.0％)in the direct thrombectomy group.After 1∶1 PSM,each group consisted of 69 patients.(1)The differences in the proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation between the bridging therapy group and the direct thrombectomy group(16.8％[17/101]vs.28.6％[30/105]),the distribution of pre-morbid mRS scores,and the distribution of TOAST subtypes were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);the differences in the residual baseline and clinical data of the two groups were not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).After 1∶1 PSM,the differences in all baseline and clinical data between the two groups were not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).(2)No statistically significant differences were observed between the bridging therapy group and direct thrombectomy group in the good prognosis rate at 90 d postoperatively,morbidity and mortality rates at 90 d postoperatively,or good revascularization rate in the immediate postoperative period(all P＞0.05).However,the risk of sICH at 7 d postoperatively was higher in the bridging therapy group(9.5％[10/105]vs.19.8％[20/101];OR,2.346,95％CI 1.038-5.299,P=0.037).After correcting for variables with statistically significant differences in baseline and clinical data between the direct thrombectomy group and bridging therapy groups(atrial fibrillation,pre-onset mRS score,and TOAST classification)using a multifactorial Logistic regression model,the results showed no statistically significant differences in the effectiveness and safety metrics between the two groups(all P＞0.05).(3)The results after 1∶1 PSM showed that the bridging therapy group had a higher risk of sICH(11.6％[8/69]vs.26.1％[18/69];OR,2.691,95％CI 1.081-6.700,P=0.033).No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of good prognosis rate at 90 d postoperatively,disease-related mortality rate at 90 d postoperatively,or rate of good revascularization in the immediate postoperative period(all P＞0.05).Conclusions In patients with acute basilar artery occlusion stroke within 4.5 h of onset,the effectiveness of bridging therapy and direct thrombectomy was similar,but the incidence of sICH was higher with bridging therapy.The results of this study still need further validation through prospective studies with larger sample sizes.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of bridging therapy and direct thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by basilar artery occlusion within 4.5 h.Methods Retrospective consecutive patients with acute basilar artery occlusion stroke within 4.5 h of onset admitted to five centers from January 2018 to August 2024 were included and divided into a bridging therapy(intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase given prior to emergency endovascular treatment)group and a direct thrombectomy group according to the treatment modality.Baseline and clinical data were collected from patients,including age,sex,systolic and diastolic blood pressure on admission,past history(including history of hypertension,diabetes mellitus,coronary artery disease,atrial fibrillation,hyperlipidemia,and history of stroke),history of smoking,pre-morbid modified Rankin scale(mRS)scores,National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score on admission,posterior circulation Alberta stroke program early CT score on admission,basilar artery CT angiography score,history of pre-procedural antiplatelet aggregation medications,history of pre-procedural anticoagulant medications,choice of arterial puncture access(via femoral or radial artery),site of vascular occlusion(proximal basilar artery,mid-basilar artery,distal basilar artery),trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment(TOAST)classification,American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology collateral circulation classification,time from onset to admission,time from admission to puncture,time from puncture to revascularization,time from onset to revascularisation,type of embolisation procedure(stenting,aspiration,and combined),immediate post-procedure extended thrombolysis in cerebral infarction(eTICI)classification,and intra-procedural related complications(arterial entrapment,distal occlusion and arterial perforation).The main efficacy indicators(good prognosis[mRS score 0-3 90 d postoperatively],death[mRS score 6 90 d postoperatively],and good recanalisation[eTICI grade ≥2b50]within the immediate postoperative period)and safety indicators(incidence of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage[sICH]within 7 days post-procedure)were compared between the two groups.The two groups were matched 1∶1 using propensity score matching(PSM)to compare differences in effectiveness and safety indices before and after PSM.Variables with P＜0.05 in the baseline and clinical data comparison between the two groups were included in multifactorial Logistic regression analysis for correction,the differences in safety and efficacy between the two groups were compared before and after correction.Results A total of 206 patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by basilar artery occlusion within 4.5 h of onset were included,comprising 151 males and 55 females.The age ranged from 26 to 93 years old,with an average of(65±13)years old.Among them,101 patients(49.0％)were in the bridging therapy group and 105(51.0％)in the direct thrombectomy group.After 1∶1 PSM,each group consisted of 69 patients.(1)The differences in the proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation between the bridging therapy group and the direct thrombectomy group(16.8％[17/101]vs.28.6％[30/105]),the distribution of pre-morbid mRS scores,and the distribution of TOAST subtypes were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);the differences in the residual baseline and clinical data of the two groups were not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).After 1∶1 PSM,the differences in all baseline and clinical data between the two groups were not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).(2)No statistically significant differences were observed between the bridging therapy group and direct thrombectomy group in the good prognosis rate at 90 d postoperatively,morbidity and mortality rates at 90 d postoperatively,or good revascularization rate in the immediate postoperative period(all P＞0.05).However,the risk of sICH at 7 d postoperatively was higher in the bridging therapy group(9.5％[10/105]vs.19.8％[20/101];OR,2.346,95％CI 1.038-5.299,P=0.037).After correcting for variables with statistically significant differences in baseline and clinical data between the direct thrombectomy group and bridging therapy groups(atrial fibrillation,pre-onset mRS score,and TOAST classification)using a multifactorial Logistic regression model,the results showed no statistically significant differences in the effectiveness and safety metrics between the two groups(all P＞0.05).(3)The results after 1∶1 PSM showed that the bridging therapy group had a higher risk of sICH(11.6％[8/69]vs.26.1％[18/69];OR,2.691,95％CI 1.081-6.700,P=0.033).No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of good prognosis rate at 90 d postoperatively,disease-related mortality rate at 90 d postoperatively,or rate of good revascularization in the immediate postoperative period(all P＞0.05).Conclusions In patients with acute basilar artery occlusion stroke within 4.5 h of onset,the effectiveness of bridging therapy and direct thrombectomy was similar,but the incidence of sICH was higher with bridging therapy.The results of this study still need further validation through prospective studies with larger sample sizes.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of bridging thrombectomy and direct thrombectomy in patients with acute anterior circulation large core infarction.Methods:A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed; 131 patients with acute anterior circulation large core infarction with an onset time≤ 24 hours received endovascular treatment (EVT) at Department of Intervention Neurosurgery, Nanyang Central Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, from June 2022 to June 2024 were chosen; they were divided into bridging thrombectomy group (accepted intravenous thrombolysis [IVT] before EVT, n=55) and direct thrombectomy group ( n=76). Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the differences in efficacy and safety between the two groups. Efficacy indicators included modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 90 days after thrombectomy, and good prognosis rate 90 days after thrombectomy (mRS scores of 0-2). Safety indicators included intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) incidence within 72 hours of thrombectomy, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) incidence within 72 hours of thrombectomy, mortality 90 days after thrombectomy, and ratio of patients receiving decompressive craniectomy after surgery. Results:No significant difference between the direct thrombectomy group and bridging thrombectomy group was noted in terms of mRS score 90 days after thrombectomy (3 [2, 6] vs. 3 [2, 6]), good prognosis rate 90 days after thrombectomy (38.2% vs. 25.5%), ICH incidence within 72 hours of thrombectomy (30.3% vs. 40.0%), sICH incidence within 72 hours of thrombectomy (21.1% vs. 21.8%), mortality rate within 90 days of thrombectomy (28.9% vs. 25.5%), and ratio of patients receiving decompressive craniectomy after surgery (9.2% vs. 9.1%, P>0.05). Core infarction volume at 100 mL was used as grouping standard, subgroup analysis showed that when the core infarction volume was 70-100 mL and >100 mL, respectively, no significant difference in sICH incidence was noted between the bridging thrombectomy group and direct thrombectomy group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:For patients with acute anterior circulation large core infarction with an onset time≤ 24 hours, bridging thrombectomy has similar efficacy and safety as direct thrombectomy.