Benefits of Endovascular Treatment for Stroke Last at Least 2 Years

By Kelly Young

Edited by Susan Sadoughi, MD, and Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM

The functional benefits of endovascular repair after acute stroke appear to be sustained after 2 years, according to a follow-up analysis of the MR CLEAN trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Roughly 500 patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by a proximal intracranial occlusion of the anterior circulation were initially randomized to receive either endovascular treatment plus conventional care or conventional care alone (conventional care could include intravenous alteplase). At 90 days, endovascular patients were more likely to have a better functional outcome, as measured by the modified Rankin score, compared with patients receiving conventional care.

Of the patients with 2-year follow-up data available, the endovascular group had a better median modified Rankin score than the conventional care group (3 vs. 4; a score of 0–2 indicates functional independence). Quality-of-life scores also favored the endovascular group.