Publications by authors named "Alejandro M Spiotta"

Recent advancements in endovascular treatment (EVT) and different views on optimal management for posterior communicating artery (PComA) aneurysms with oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) highlight a need to compare recovery timelines between microsurgery and EVT; heterogeneous outcomes and influencing factors may also affect results. A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The extracted data encompassed patient demographics, details on treatment modalities and timing, and characteristics of PComA aneurysms ONP caused by either unruptured or ruptured aneurysms.

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Objectives: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a cerebrovascular disorder marked by the progressive steno-occlusion of the bilateral internal carotid arteries and the formation of abnormal collateral vessel networks at the base of the brain. Previous studies have attempted to identify risk factors predictive of postoperative complications to improve patient management. This study aims to identify pretreatment factors associated with post-bypass symptomatic strokes in MMD patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how the number of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) procedures performed annually at hospitals affects patient outcomes for acute ischemic stroke in the U.S. from 2016 to 2020.
  • It found that as MT procedural volume increases, patients had lower rates of being discharged home/self-cared and higher odds of in-hospital mortality and post-treatment intracranial hemorrhage (ICH).
  • The results suggest a paradox where higher procedural volume at hospitals correlates with worse outcomes, likely due to treating more severe cases at these high-volume centers.
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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers aimed to create and validate a prediction score for futile recanalization (FR) in patients with low Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Scores (ASPECTS) who underwent endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for large vessel occlusions (LVO).
  • The study analyzed data from 219 patients with anterior circulation LVO and identified key predictors of FR, resulting in the development of the SNAP score, which considers factors like the site of occlusion and patient age.
  • The SNAP score successfully predicted FR with an area under the curve of 0.79 in both training and validation cohorts, indicating its potential usefulness for guiding expectations in patients undergoing EVT for severe strokes.
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Background And Objectives: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is characterized by progressive steno-occlusion of the internal carotid arteries, leading to compensatory collateral vessel formation. The optimal surgical approach for MMD remains debated, with bilateral revascularization potentially offering more comprehensive protection but involving more extensive surgery compared to unilateral revascularization. This study aims to compare bilateral revascularization and unilateral revascularization short-term safety profile in the treatment of MMD.

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Background And Objectives: Radial artery vasospasm is a common complication of radial artery catheterization. During the implementation of distal transradial approach (dTRA), we observed a decreased incidence of radial artery vasospasm on radial artery angiography following access that was not well detailed in the literature. The purpose of this study was to characterize the phenomenon of radial artery vasospasm in the context of different radial artery access points for diagnostic cerebral angiography.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study looked at whether a medical procedure called thrombectomy helps patients who have a large stroke as seen on a specific type of scan called a noncontrast CT within 24 hours of having the stroke.
  • It involved 300 patients from different hospitals who were split into two groups; one group received the thrombectomy treatment, while the other only received regular care.
  • The main goal was to see if those who had thrombectomy had better recovery after 90 days compared to those who didn’t, along with checking if there were any serious side effects.
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Background And Purpose: Intraarterial thrombolysis as an adjunct to mechanical thrombectomy is increasingly being considered to enhance reperfusion in acute ischemic stroke patients. Intraarterial thrombolysis may increase the risk of post-thrombectomy intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in certain patient subgroups.

Methods: We analyzed acute ischemic stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy in a multicenter registry.

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Background: A higher number of recanalization attempts reduces the efficacy of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion (LVO). We assessed the impact of switching EVT techniques after a failed first pass on procedural and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This multicenter international study, conducted between January 2013 and December 2022, included patients undergoing EVT for anterior circulation LVO (internal carotid artery or M1 segments) with failed first pass recanalization.

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Background And Objectives: This study aimed to compare outcomes of low Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) patients with stroke who underwent mechanical thrombectomy (MT) within 6 hours or 6 to 24 hours after stroke onset.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a large multicenter international registry from 2013 to 2023. Patients with low ASPECTS (2-5) who underwent MT for anterior circulation intracranial large vessel occlusion were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare brain disorder that causes narrowing of blood vessels, often accompanied by high blood pressure, which complicates the condition's outcomes; this study compares MMD patients with and without hypertension.
  • - A total of 598 MMD patients were analyzed from multiple institutions, with hypertensive (292) and non-hypertensive (306) groups evaluated for clinical characteristics and outcomes using statistical adjustments to account for differences in their backgrounds.
  • - Results indicated that although hypertensive patients showed higher rates of certain risk factors (like diabetes and smoking) and higher stroke rates before adjustments, post-matching analysis revealed no significant differences in stroke rates or recovery outcomes between the two groups, suggesting effective
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Article Synopsis
  • * Data from 459 patients with vessel perforation showed a 90-day mortality rate of 51.9%, with only 16.3% achieving a favorable recovery (mRS 0-2).
  • * The findings indicate that large vessel perforation leads to worse outcomes, while thrombolysis doesn’t worsen prognoses; quick management of bleeding is crucial for survival.
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Background And Objectives: Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) has emerged as a novel treatment of chronic subdural hematoma. In 0.5% of patients, however, there exists an ophthalmic origin of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) known as the recurrent meningeal artery.

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Objectives: The value of thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke cannot be understated. As such, whether these patients get access to this treatment can significantly impact their disease outcomes. We analyzed the trends in thrombectomy adoption between teaching and non-teaching hospitals in the United States, and their impact on overall patient care.

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Background: Given the benefits of neuroendovascular simulation to resident education, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of simulation-based training for neuroendovascular intervention with primary and secondary catheters using a transradial approach (TRA).

Methods: Five neurosurgical residents (PGY 1-3) from our institution enrolled in a standardized pilot training protocol. Trainees used the Mentice (Gothenburg, Vastra Gotaland, Sweden) Visit G5 simulator with a type II arch using a right TRA.

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Background: With transradial access (TRA) being more progressively used in neuroendovascular procedures, we compared TRA with transfemoral access (TFA) in middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH).

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing MMAE for cSDH at 14 North American centers (2018-23) were included. TRA and TFA groups were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) controlling for: age, sex, concurrent surgery, previous surgery, hematoma thickness and side, midline shift, and pretreatment antithrombotics.

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Background: Endovascular embolization procedures are typically the primary treatment modality for arteriovenous fistula (AVF). The objective of this subset analysis was to evaluate the prospective long-term clinical outcomes of AVF patients treated with the SMART COIL System.

Methods: Patients who had AVFs and underwent endovascular coiling using the Penumbra SMART COIL system were part of a subset analysis within the SMART registry.

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Background: Few clinical studies perform detailed analyses of subtypes of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) used to treat acute ischemic stroke. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) is a formidable complication of MT and is widely used in clinical trials as a safety outcome. However, variable definitions of sICH are used across clinical studies.

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Background And Objectives: The timing of microsurgical treatment (MST) for ruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVM) is a contentious issue in the literature. This study aimed to investigate the impact of MST timing on outcomes in patients with ruptured bAVMs, considering MST with and without preoperative endovascular treatment (EVT).

Method: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, yielding 15 studies meeting the inclusion criteria.

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Background: The definitive impact of onset to arterial puncture time (OPT) on 90-day mortality after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) remains unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of OPT on 90-day mortality in anterior circulation AIS-LVO patients who underwent EVT.

Methods: Data from 33 international centers were retrospectively analyzed.

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