Publications by authors named "Nirav Vora"
Article Synopsis
- Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has proven safe and effective for patients suffering from large core strokes, but the effects of reperfusion quality and procedure details on outcomes are still unclear.
- In the SELECT2 trial, findings indicated that 80% of patients experienced successful reperfusion, which correlates with better clinical outcomes, particularly in those who achieved near-complete reperfusion.
- Longer procedure times negatively impacted patient outcomes, while the method of thrombectomy (aspiration vs stent-retriever) showed no significant differences in reperfusion success or functional recovery.
Article Synopsis
- Age is often a factor in predicting outcomes for patients with large vessel occlusions treated with mechanical thrombectomy, but there’s limited research on outcomes for octo/nonagenarians compared to younger patients, specifically for acute basilar artery occlusions.
- A study using data from the PC-SEARCH Thrombectomy Registry analyzed 444 cases, dividing patients into two age groups: those over 80 and those 80 or younger.
- Results showed that while fewer older patients achieved favorable outcomes at 90 days post-treatment, the differences were not statistically significant after adjusting for other health factors, suggesting that octo/nonagenarians can have comparable functional recovery to younger patients when treated with thrombectomy.
Background And Objectives: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) large vessel occlusion (LVO) is responsible for up to 30% of LVO. In this study, we aimed to determine the likelihood of favorable functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale 0-3) in acute ICAD-LVO basilar occlusion compared with embolic basilar occlusion.
Methods: This is an analysis of the Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke Evaluation: Analyzing Radiographic and Intraprocedural Predictors for Mechanical Thrombectomy Registry in which patients with acute basilar artery occlusions from 8 comprehensive stroke centers were included from 2015 to 2021.
Article Synopsis
- Patients with large ischemic core strokes often have poor outcomes and are rarely transferred for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), leading to a need for better understanding of treatment effects in different patient groups.
- The study analyzed data from the SELECT2 trial, focusing on adults with acute ischemic strokes due to specific artery occlusions, comparing those who were directly treated at EVT centers with those who were transferred.
- Results indicated that EVT improved functional outcomes in both transfer and non-transfer patients, suggesting that EVT can benefit patients regardless of transfer delays, although the median ASPECTS score showed a decline during transfers.
Importance: Stroke-to-recanalization time is a strong predictor of outcomes in anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion (LVO). The authors aimed to evaluate functional outcomes in early (<6 h) vs. late (6-24 h) time windows for thrombectomy-treated basilar artery occlusions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: Whether endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) efficacy for patients with acute ischemic stroke and large cores varies depending on the extent of ischemic injury is uncertain.
Objective: To describe the relationship between imaging estimates of irreversibly injured brain (core) and at-risk regions (mismatch) and clinical outcomes and EVT treatment effect.
Design, Setting, And Participants: An exploratory analysis of the SELECT2 trial, which randomized 352 adults (18-85 years) with acute ischemic stroke due to occlusion of the internal carotid or middle cerebral artery (M1 segment) and large ischemic core to EVT vs medical management (MM), across 31 global centers between October 2019 and September 2022.
Article Synopsis
- Reperfusion therapy significantly benefits ischemic stroke patients by reducing infarct growth and cerebral edema, which may be key to improving clinical outcomes.* -
- A study involving 542 patients found that successful reperfusion was linked to decreased infarct growth and midline shift, highlighting their role as mediators in treatment effectiveness.* -
- Although successful reperfusion initially correlated with better functional outcomes, this link diminished when accounting for infarct growth and midline shift, indicating these factors greatly influence treatment success.*
Background And Objectives: The effect of anesthesia choice on endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) outcomes is unclear. Collateral status on perfusion imaging may help identify the optimal anesthesia choice.
Methods: In a pooled patient-level analysis of EXTEND-IA, EXTEND-IA TNK, EXTEND-IA TNK part II, and SELECT, EVT functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score distribution) were compared between general anesthesia (GA) vs non-GA in a propensity-matched sample.
Introduction: We have demonstrated in a multicenter cohort that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a delay in intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) among stroke patients. Whether this delay contributes to meaningful short-term outcome differences in these patients warranted further exploration.
Methods: We conducted a nested observational cohort study of adult acute ischemic stroke patients receiving IVT from 9 comprehensive stroke centers across 7 U.
Objective: To evaluate the comparative safety and efficacy of direct endovascular thrombectomy (dEVT) compared to bridging therapy (BT; IV tissue plasminogen activator + EVT) and to assess whether BT potential benefit relates to stroke severity, size, and initial presentation to EVT vs non-EVT center.
Methods: In a prospective multicenter cohort study of imaging selection for endovascular thrombectomy (Optimizing Patient Selection for Endovascular Treatment in Acute Ischemic Stroke [SELECT]), patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) presenting to EVT-capable centers within 4.5 hours from last known well were stratified into BT vs dEVT.
Background: Unprecedented workflow shifts during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have contributed to delays in acute care delivery, but whether it adversely affected endovascular thrombectomy metrics in acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) is unknown.
Methods: We performed a retrospective review of observational data from 14 comprehensive stroke centers in nine US states with acute LVO. EVT metrics were compared between March to July 2019 against March to July 2020 (primary analysis), and between state-specific pre-peak and peak COVID-19 months (secondary analysis), with multivariable adjustment.
Background: To evaluate overall ischemic stroke volumes and rates, specific subtypes, and clinical presentation during the COVID-19 pandemic in a multicenter observational study from eight states across US.
Methods: We compared all ischemic strokes admitted between January 2019 and May 2020, grouped as; March-May 2020 (COVID-19 period) and March-May 2019 (seasonal pre-COVID-19 period). Primary outcome was stroke severity at admission measured by NIHSS stratified as mild (0-7), moderate [8-14], and severe (>14).
Background And Purpose: Time elapsed from last-known well (LKW) and baseline imaging results are influential on endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) outcomes.
Methods: In a prospective multicenter cohort study of imaging selection for endovascular thrombectomy (SELECT [Optimizing Patient's Selection for Endovascular Treatment in Acute Ischemic Stroke], the early infarct growth rate (EIGR) was defined as ischemic core volume on perfusion imaging (relative cerebral blood flow<30%) divided by the time from LKW to imaging. The optimal EIGR cutoff was identified by maximizing the sum of the sensitivity and specificity to correlate best with favorable outcome and to improve its the predictability.
Background: It is unknown whether endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is cost effective in large ischemic core infarcts.
Methods: In the prospective, multicenter, cohort study of imaging selection study (SELECT), large core was defined as computed tomography (CT) ASPECTS<6 or computed tomography perfusion (CTP) ischemic core volume (rCBF<30%) ≥50 cc. A Markov model estimated costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of EVT compared with medical management (MM) over lifetime.
The first pass effect (FPE; achieving complete recanalization with a single thrombectomy device pass) has been shown to be associated with higher rates of good clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Here, we investigate clinical and radiographic factors associated with FPE in a large U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The primary imaging modalities used to select patients for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) are noncontrast computed tomography (CT) and CT perfusion (CTP). However, their relative utility is uncertain. We prospectively assessed CT and CTP concordance/discordance and correlated the imaging profiles on both with EVT treatment decisions and clinical outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: The efficacy and safety of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with large ischemic cores remains unknown, to our knowledge.
Objective: To compare outcomes in patients with large ischemic cores treated with EVT and medical management vs medical management alone.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This prespecified analysis of the Optimizing Patient's Selection for Endovascular Treatment in Acute Ischemic Stroke (SELECT) trial, a prospective cohort study of imaging selection that was conducted in 9 US comprehensive stroke centers, enrolled patients between January 2016 and February 2018, and followed them up for 90 days.
Background and Purpose- It remains unclear how experience influences outcomes after the advent of stent retriever technology. We studied the relationship between site experience and outcomes in the Trevo Acute Ischemic Stroke multicenter registry. Methods- The 24 sites that enrolled patients in the Trevo Acute Ischemic Stroke registry were trichotomized into low-volume (<2 cases/month), medium-volume (2-4 cases/month), and high-volume centers (>4 cases/month).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground and Purpose- Mechanical thrombectomy has been shown to improve clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, the impact of balloon guide catheter (BGC) use is not well established. Methods- STRATIS (Systematic Evaluation of Patients Treated With Neurothrombectomy Devices for Acute Ischemic Stroke) was a prospective, multicenter study of patients with large vessel occlusion treated with the Solitaire stent retriever as first-line therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The Solitaire stent retriever registry showed improved reperfusion, faster procedure times, and better outcome in acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion treated with a balloon guide catheter (BGC) and Solitaire stent retriever compared with a conventional guide catheter. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether use of a BGC with the Trevo stent retriever improves outcomes compared with a conventional guide catheter.
Methods: The TRACK registry recruited 23 sites to submit demographic, clinical, and site adjudicated angiographic and outcome data on consecutive patients treated with the Trevo stent retriever.
The superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass (STA-MCA) bypass surgery developed by Donaghy and Yarsagil in 1967 provided relief for patients with acute stroke and large vessel occlusive vascular disease. Early reports showed low morbidity and good outcomes. However, a large clinical trial in 1985 reported a failure of extracranial-intracranial (EC/IC) bypass to show benefit in reducing the risk of stroke compared to best medical treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The effect of endovascular thrombectomy that is performed more than 6 hours after the onset of ischemic stroke is uncertain. Patients with a clinical deficit that is disproportionately severe relative to the infarct volume may benefit from late thrombectomy.
Methods: We enrolled patients with occlusion of the intracranial internal carotid artery or proximal middle cerebral artery who had last been known to be well 6 to 24 hours earlier and who had a mismatch between the severity of the clinical deficit and the infarct volume, with mismatch criteria defined according to age (<80 years or ≥80 years).