Results of international study may transform stroke treatment

Researchers from the RCSI and Beaumont Hospital have taken part in a major international study that is set to revolutionise the treatment of stroke. The research — published in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine — has shown that a clot retrieval procedure, known as endovascular treatment (ET), results in a dramatic improvement in patient outcomes and a reduction in disability and deaths from stroke. ET is performed by inserting a thin tube into the artery in the groin, through the body, and into the brain vessels to the clot. This is done under image-guided care…