Abstract
Balloon guide catheters (BGCs) have helped advance endovascular thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion. This study aimed to understand whether a BGC would be useful in thrombectomy of the vessels that are distant from the BGC, such as M1 or more distal artery occlusions. We retrospectively reviewed patients with acute stroke who underwent mechanical thrombectomy at two stroke centers. Data were collected for patients with M1, M2, or proximal M3 occlusions who underwent intra-arterial thrombectomies in 2020 and 2021. Baseline angiographic and clinical characteristics, time intervals, recanalization rates, and clinical outcomes were compared between patients treated with and without BGCs. Sixty-one patients (68.9 ± 12.8 years; males, 62.3%; 35 with BGC) were included. The combined contact aspiration and stent retriever technique was used primarily in both groups. Patients without BGC were older, had a shorter procedural time, and a higher rate of first pass recanalization. Good clinical outcome rate did not significantly differ. In conclusion, BGC did not seem to provide better endovascular or clinical outcomes in intra-arterial thrombectomy for patients with acute ischemic stroke with M1 and more distal artery occlusions when combined contact aspiration and stent retriever is performed.