E-003 Safety and efficacy of balloon guide catheters in thrombectomy for anterior circulation stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective The benefit of balloon guide catheters (BGCs) in mechanical thrombectomy (MT) remains unclear. We examined the effect of BGC on procedural, radiographic, and clinical outcomes. Methods A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus to identify studies comparing MT for acute ischemic stroke with and without the use of BGCs. Patient demographics, procedural metrics, and outcomes were abstracted. Three-month functional outcomes were based on the modified Rankin Score (mRS). Results Of the 2,181 resultant articles identified by the systematic review, 9 met inclusion criteria, comprising 2292 BGC and 1868 non-BGC patients. At baseline, the BGC group had a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation (43.3% versus 36.2%, p Conclusion BGC use during MT for acute ischemic stroke is associated faster to groin-to-recanalization times, improved TICI ≥2b reperfusion, lower incidence of sICH, and lower mortality. These data demonstrate the promise of BGC use for MT and warrant further study. Disclosures N. Shlobin: None. B. Jahromi: None. S. Ansari: None. M. Potts: None.