Thrombectomy 24 hours after stroke: beyond DAWN

Background and purpose The results of the DAWN trial support the benefit of thrombectomy in patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute stroke presenting within 6–24 hours from time last known well (TLKW). We sought to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients who met DAWN criteria but underwent thrombectomy beyond 24 hours of TLKW. Methods A retrospective review of endovascular thrombectomy databases at three comprehensive stroke centers was performed to identify all patients who received thrombectomy beyond 24 hours of TLKW and otherwise met the DAWN criteria. Baseline characteristics, efficacy, and safety outcomes were compared with patients in the DAWN trial intervention arm. Results Twenty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. Rates of successful reperfusion (mTICI2b–3: 81% vs 84%, P=0.72), 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score 0–2, 43% vs 48%, P=0.68), and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (5% vs 6%, P=0.87) were comparable across the two groups. Conclusion Thrombectomy appears to be safe and feasible in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to LVO meeting all DAWN trial criteria but treated beyond 24 hours of TLKW with outcomes comparable to patients in the DAWN trial intervention arm. Further studies are warranted to validate these findings.