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Mechanical interventions to treat acute stroke

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Abstract

The approach to stroke therapy has historically been limited due to the existence of relatively few treatment options and the necessity for action within 3 hours of symptom onset. As neuroimaging technology advances, fertile new ground is revealed for novel therapies. Recently, a number of exciting mechanical systems have been developed with potential efficacy even hours after cerebrovascular occlusion: endovascular clot disruption, endovascular clot extraction, and angioplasty with stenting are currently under study, with promising initial results. With more options, each with greater effectiveness in a particular clinical scenario, the physician is now better equipped than ever to treat acute ischemic stroke successfully.

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Correspondence to H. Christian Schumacher MD.

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Fussell, D., Schumacher, H.C., Meyers, P.M. et al. Mechanical interventions to treat acute stroke. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 7, 21–27 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-007-0017-3

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