Recent Trends in Clot Retrieval Devices: A Review

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and in Europe. Even with gold standard medical management of acute ischemic stroke, which is intravenous (IV) thrombolysis by administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), the mortality rate remains the same. Intra-arterial (IA) thrombolysis therapy also did not achieve significant results and was not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of limited sample size. This encouraged scientists and engineers to develop endovascular clot retrieval devices for the mechanical recanalization of the occluded arteries in stroke patients. Although the initial designs of clot retrieval devices failed, efforts to improve these devices continue. Recently clot retrieval devices were approved by the FDA as first-line treatment along with IV rt-PA. This article gives an in-depth review of different clot retrieval devices which includes MERCI (the first), the Penumbra Aspiration System, EmboTrap(®)II, stent retrievers, and the way forward with the new FDA clearance of the devices as first-line treatment for acute ischemic stroke along with IV rt-PA. The review also includes a comparison of clot retrieval devices to gold standard treatment.