Progress of acute thrombectomy for ischemic stroke: Establish of clinical evidence and looking to the future

Abstract

Acute thrombectomy was formally introduced in Japan with the approval of Merci retriever in 2010. Its efficacy was established by five randomized controlled trials that were carried out following the introduction of stent retrievers. Clinical results also showed improvement after the introduction of new devices. However,there are serious regional differences when it comes to applying this therapy. In this manuscript,we give an update of the treatment guidelines,describe the current status in Japan,and discuss problems associated with this methods.