ABSTRACT
Until recently the principle methods for removing thrombi were thrombolytic drugs and open surgery. Although thrombolytic drug therapy can effectively manage many thrombotic occlusions, it does not achieve this rapidly in urgent cases or those in which symptoms appear relatively late. Additionally, the unavoidable risk of bleeding complications limits their dose and duration and, not all patients are candidates for thrombolytic therapy. On the contrary, surgical removal of thrombus results in rapid blood flow restoration, but it is relatively invasive. Thus, timing and patient safety are two factors spurring interest in alternatives for rapid and minimally invasive removal of thrombus. Hence, mechanical thrombectomy devices are gaining popularity as a useful adjunct to pharmacological thrombolysis (1,2).
