Mechanical Thrombectomy with or without Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis for Randomized Controlled Trials

Introduction The combination of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is more effective than IVT alone in patients with large vessel occlusion, which has been proven in recent studies. However, there are still debates over whether IVT benefits patients treated with only direct mechanical thrombectomy (dMT). Methods PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched on June 15, 2021, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Seven RCTs with 2,143 patients were enrolled in our study. Results MT combined with IVT had comparable efficacy and safety outcome compared with dMT in proximal anterior circulation occlusion at 90 days. For the primary outcome, pooled data showed no significant difference in the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-2 at 90 days between the dMT and MT+IVT groups (pooled odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval, 0.79, 1.17, p = 0.39). As for the mRS score 0-1 at 90 days, the degree of benefit conferred by dMT was substantial: for every 100 patients treated, the number of patients which had an excellent outcome in the dMT group was 10 higher than that of the MT+IVT group. Conclusion In this meta-analysis including 7 RCTs, MT had comparable consequences to bridging treatment in efficacy and safety outcomes for patients with ischemic stroke caused by the occlusion of proximal anterior circulation, irrespective of geographical location. These findings support the adoption of dMT in acute ischemic stroke treatments and have higher cost-effectiveness in global applications.