Aspiration, stent retriever, or combined approach for basilar artery occlusion: a three-way comparative analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is a rare but devastating form of ischaemic stroke, with high rates of disability and mortality. While randomized trials have demonstrated the benefit of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in BAO, the optimal first-line technique - aspiration, stent retriever, or a combined approach - remains undefined.

Objectives

This multicentre study aimed to provide a three-way comparison of MT techniques in terms of efficacy, safety and subgroup-specific outcomes.

Design

A retrospective observational study.

Methods

We prospectively included 517 consecutive patients with acute isolated BAO treated with MT across seven comprehensive stroke centres between January 2019 and December 2023. Patients were grouped by first-line technique: aspira

SUBMITTER: Jaffar M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12855751 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature