Improving the Reachability of Contact Aspiration for Acute Ischemic Stroke Using a New Delivery Assist Catheter

This study aimed to improve the reachability of large lumen catheter for contact aspiration during acute ischemic stroke by a new delivery assist catheter.This study included 58 patients with large-vessel stroke treated using endovascular procedures at our institution and affiliated hospitals between July 2021 and January 2023. Contact aspiration, especially contact aspiration using nonpenetrating of thrombus (CANP) technique, was adopted as first-line thrombectomy for localized internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery proximal (M1 segment), and basilar artery without tandem occlusion in acute stroke. The new delivery assist catheter (AXS Offset catheter, Stryker, Fremont, CA, USA) was standardized after its release. Results of this improved contact aspiration technique using the new delivery assist catheter, including reachability, procedure time, and first-pass effect, were compared with conventional catheters.Of the 58 patients, 43 underwent only thrombectomy for acute embolic stroke. CANP technique was attempted on 25 patients (25/43, 58.1%). Of these, a normal inner catheter (inner diameter: 0.021 or 0.027 inches) and the new delivery assist catheter were used on 10 (10/25, 40%) and 15 (15/25, 60%) patients, respectively. An aspiration catheter reached the thrombus for 5 patients (5/10, 50%) and 14 patients (14/15 93.3%) in the normal and new delivery assist catheter groups, respectively (P = 0.023). There was no significant difference in the results of contact aspiration due to the delivery catheter.The new delivery assist catheter improved the reachability of the aspiration catheter to the thrombus and is an effective device for performing CANP technique.