Stryker Trevo ProVue Retrieval System

Blood clots account for most of the 795,000 strokes each year in the United States, and the clot-busting drug, tissue plasminogen activator, is the most common stroke remedy. But stent retrievers are showing greater acceptance for removing clots, as this piece describes. Stent retrievers are inserted in an artery from the groin to the brain. Because this technology allows a longer window of opportunity than the anti-clotting drugs—i.e. 6 hours compared to 4.5 hours—stroke victims have better chances of survival, including more time to reach an endovascular facility which can perform this procedure   Also mentioned is a clot retriever that works by suction. MORE

Image Credit: Stryker and QMed.com