Efficacy and Safety of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Treating Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Meta Analysis

Objectives: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a promising treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). But the results of completed trials were contradictory. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MT in treating AIS. Methods: Literatures were searched in the databases including Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Ovid-SP. The bias and quality of publications with randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were assessed with the Cochrane collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. Results: Totally 16 publications matched the inclusion criteria, including seven independent RCTs and 2043 AIS patients. The results showed that the recanalization rate and the modified Rankin score of 0-2 at 90days after treatment were better in MT combining standard care group, but the mortality had no significant difference, even the incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage during follow-up period was worse, as compared with standard care group. Conclusion: MT combining standard care would be an effective and promising treatment for AIS patients according to the present study.