Treatment for ischemic stroke: From thrombolysis to thrombectomy and remaining challenges

• Published in: Brain circulation Vol. 5; no. 1; pp. 8 - 11
• Main Authors: Leng, Tiandong, Xiong, Zhi-Gang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01-01-2019; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Blood clots; Blood vessels; Care and treatment; FDA approval; Hospitals; Methods; Patients; Review; Stroke; Stroke (Disease); Studies; Surgery; thrombectomy; thrombolysis; Thrombolytic therapy; tissue plasminogen activator; United States > US; thrombolysis; Stroke; tissue plasminogen activator; thrombectomy
• ISSN: 2394-8108; 2455-4626
• DOI: 10.4103/bc.bc_36_18

Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disabilities. Despite decades of extensive efforts in search of brain injury mechanisms and therapeutic interventions, pharmacological treatment is limited to the use of thrombolytic agent tissue plasminogen activator, which has limited therapeutic time window and potential side effect of intracranial hemorrhage. Over the past few years, endovascular thrombectomy with stent-retriever devices combined with advanced imaging modalities has transformed the standard of stroke care, offering an opportunity to improve the outcome in selected patients as late as 24 h after the onset of stroke. This mini-review summarizes the advancement in the treatment of ischemic stroke, from thrombolysis to thrombectomy and remaining challenges in the field.