Public health and cost benefits of successful reperfusion after thrombectomy for stroke

Background and Purpose— The benefit that endovascular thrombectomy offers to patients with stroke with large vessel occlusions depends strongly on reperfusion grade as defined by the expanded Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (eTICI) scale. Our aim was to determine the lifetime health and cost consequences of the quality of reperfusion for patients, healthcare systems, and society. Methods— A Markov model estimated lifetime quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and lifetime costs of endovascular thrombectomy–treated patients with stroke based on eTICI grades. The analysis was performed over a lifetime horizon in a United States setting, adopting healthcare and societal perspectives. The reference case analysis was conducted for stroke at 65 years of age. National health and cost consequences of improved eTICI 2c/3 reperfusion rates were estimated. Input parameters were based on best available evidence. Results— Lifetime QALYs increased for every grade of improved reperfusion (median QALYs for eTICI 0/1: 2.62; eTICI 2a: 3.46; eTICI 2b: 5.42; eTICI 2c: 5.99; eTICI 3: 6.73). Achieving eTICI 3 over eTICI 2b reperfusion resulted on average in 1.31 incremental QALYs as well as healthcare and societal cost savings of $10 327 and$20 224 per patient. A 10% increase in the eTICI 2c/3 reperfusion rate of all annually endovascular thrombectomy–treated patients with stroke in the United States is estimated to yield additional 3656 QALYs and save $21.0 million and$36.8 million for the healthcare system and society, respectively. Conclusions— Improved reperfusion grants patients with stroke additional QALYs and leads to long-term cost savings. Procedural strategies to achieve complete reperfusion should be assessed for safety and feasibility, even when initial reperfusion seems to be adequate

Cerebral Edema in Patients With Large Hemispheric Infarct Undergoing Reperfusion Treatment

Background and purposeWhether reperfusion into infarcted tissue exacerbates cerebral edema has treatment implications in patients presenting with extensive irreversible injury. We investigated the effects of endovascular thrombectomy and reperfusion on cerebral edema in patients presenting with radiological evidence of large hemispheric infarction at baseline.MethodsIn a systematic review and individual patient-level meta-analysis of 7 randomized controlled trials comparing thrombectomy versus medical therapy in anterior circulation ischemic stroke published between January 1, 2010, and May 31, 2017 (Highly Effective Reperfusion Using Multiple Endovascular Devices collaboration), we analyzed the association between thrombectomy and reperfusion with maximal midline shift (MLS) on follow-up imaging as a measure of the space-occupying effect of cerebral edema in patients with large hemispheric infarction on pretreatment imaging, defined as diffusion-magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography (CT)-perfusion ischemic core 80 to 300 mL or noncontrast CT-Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score ≤5. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool.ResultsAmong 1764 patients, 177 presented with large hemispheric infarction. Thrombectomy and reperfusion were associated with functional improvement (thrombectomy common odds ratio =2.30 [95% CI, 1.32–4.00]; reperfusion common odds ratio =4.73 [95% CI, 1.66–13.52]) but not MLS (thrombectomy β=−0.27 [95% CI, −1.52 to 0.98]; reperfusion β=−0.78 [95% CI, −3.07 to 1.50]) when adjusting for age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Score, glucose, and time-to-follow-up imaging. In an exploratory analysis of patients presenting with core volume >130 mL or CT-Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score ≤3 (n=76), thrombectomy was associated with greater MLS after adjusting for age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Score (β=2.76 [95% CI, 0.33–5.20]) but not functional improvement (odds ratio, 1.71 [95% CI, 0.24–12.08]).ConclusionsIn patients presenting with large hemispheric infarction, thrombectomy and reperfusion were not associated with MLS, except in the subgroup with very large core volume (>130 mL) in whom thrombectomy was associated with increased MLS due to space-occupying ischemic edema. Mitigating cerebral edema-mediated secondary injury in patients with very large infarcts may further improve outcomes after reperfusion therapies

Cerebral edema in patients with large hemispheric infarct undergoing reperfusion treatment: a HERMES meta-analysis

Background and Purpose: Whether reperfusion into infarcted tissue exacerbates cerebral edema has treatment implications in patients presenting with extensive irreversible injury. We investigated the effects of endovascular thrombectomy and reperfusion on cerebral edema in patients presenting with radiological evidence of large hemispheric infarction at baseline. Methods: In a systematic review and individual patient-level meta-analysis of 7 randomized controlled trials comparing thrombectomy versus medical therapy in anterior circulation ischemic stroke published between January 1, 2010, and May 31, 2017 (Highly Effective Reperfusion Using Multiple Endovascular Devices collaboration), we analyzed the association between thrombectomy and reperfusion with maximal midline shift (MLS) on follow-up imaging as a measure of the space-occupying effect of cerebral edema in patients with large hemispheric infarction on pretreatment imaging, defined as diffusion-magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography (CT)-perfusion ischemic core 80 to 300 mL or noncontrast CT-Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score ≤5. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool. Results: Among 1764 patients, 177 presented with large hemispheric infarction. Thrombectomy and reperfusion were associated with functional improvement (thrombectomy common odds ratio =2.30 [95% CI, 1.32–4.00]; reperfusion common odds ratio =4.73 [95% CI, 1.66–13.52]) but not MLS (thrombectomy β=−0.27 [95% CI, −1.52 to 0.98]; reperfusion β=−0.78 [95% CI, −3.07 to 1.50]) when adjusting for age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Score, glucose, and time-to-follow-up imaging. In an exploratory analysis of patients presenting with core volume >130 mL or CT-Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score ≤3 (n=76), thrombectomy was associated with greater MLS after adjusting for age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Score (β=2.76 [95% CI, 0.33–5.20]) but not functional improvement (odds ratio, 1.71 [95% CI, 0.24–12.08]). Conclusions: In patients presenting with large hemispheric infarction, thrombectomy and reperfusion were not associated with MLS, except in the subgroup with very large core volume (>130 mL) in whom thrombectomy was associated with increased MLS due to space-occupying ischemic edema. Mitigating cerebral edema-mediated secondary injury in patients with very large infarcts may further improve outcomes after reperfusion therapies