SWIFT PRIME and REVASCAT trials confirm the addition of the Solitaire stent thrombectomy procedure to pharmaceutical treatment significantly reduced disability in stroke patients-Medtronic

Two global trials published online in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference found that the addition of the Solitaire device stent thrombectomy procedure to current pharmaceutical treatment significantly reduced disability in patients suffering stroke. These trials assessed if patients experiencing an acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and treated with the Solitaire device in addition to current medical therapy, including IV-tPA when patients were eligible, had less stroke-related disability than patients treated with IV-tPA or medical therapy alone.

SWIFT PRIME assessed 196 patients and found that the addition of the Solitaire device significantly decreased post-stroke disability and increased the number of patients who were independent within 90 days after a stroke. The trial found that the addition of the Solitaire device significantly increased patients' rate of return to functional independence compared to IV-tPA alone (60.2% vs. 35.5%, p=0.0002).

See-"Stent-Retriever Thrombectomy after Intravenous t-PA vs. t-PA Alone in Stroke."- Jeffrey L. Saver, M.D., Mayank Goyal, M.D., Alain Bonafe, M.D., Hans-Christoph Diener, M.D., Ph.D., Elad I. Levy, M.D., Vitor M. Pereira,et.al. April 17, 2015DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1415061.

REVASCAT trial (206 patients) showed that patients treated with the Solitaire device in addition to medical therapy (which included IV-tPA in eligible patients that comprised 70 percent of subjects enrolled) up to eight hours from onset of symptoms, experienced a statistically significant improvement in the rate of return to functional independence (43.7% vs. 28.2%) in favor of patients treated with the Solitaire device when compared to medical therapy alone.

See-"Thrombectomy within 8 Hours after Symptom Onset in Ischemic Stroke"- Tudor G. Jovin, M.D., Angel Chamorro, M.D., Erik Cobo, Ph.D., Mar�a A. de Miquel, M.D., Carlos A. Molina, M.D., Alex Rovira, M.D., Luis San Rom�n, M.D.,et.al.,-April 17, 2015DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1503780.