Preliminary experience with 088 large bore intracranial catheters during stroke thrombectomy

Background and purpose Thromboaspiration technology continues to evolve at an accelerated pace with increasing availability of larger and more navigable devices. Herein, we provide our initial experience with the intracranial navigation of a large-bore (.088" inner diameter) catheters during mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods Retrospective review of consecutive large vessel occlusion stroke patients in whom a TracStar™ or Zoom 88™ (Imperative Care, Campbell, CA) large-bore catheters were utilized in MT. The primary outcome was successful reperfusion (eTICI2b-3) at the end of the procedure. Safety measures included procedural complications and rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Results Five patients (age,∼50–85 years; baseline NIHSS,17-23) were treated. The .088" catheters were used as the primary tool for contact aspiration in two patients (distal basilar artery and proximal MCA occlusions) with complete thrombus ingestion (eTICI3) during the first pass. In two patients, the .088" catheter was used for flow control where it was placed in the distal M1-segment of a patient with M2 occlusion treated with a combination of stent-retriever and .070" aspiration catheter and in the proximal M1 in a patient with distal M1 occlusion treated with .071" aspiration catheter resulting in eTICI3 reperfusion in both cases. In the fifth patient, the .088" catheter was navigated into the cavernous ICA to support .071" aspiration catheter treatment of an M2 occlusion resulting in eTCI2b67 reperfusion. Procedural duration ranged between 14 and 33 minutes. There were no adverse events. Conclusion Intracranial navigation of .088" large-bore catheters in MT appears technically feasible and safe. Larger prospective studies are warranted.