Pulling out small brain clots did not help stroke patients, and bleeding was more common
Using a thin tube to pull small blood clots out of the brain did not help stroke patients recover. In a trial of 244 people, 62% who had the procedure recovered well, versus 68% who got medicines alone.
Why it matters
A stroke happens when a clot blocks an artery and part of the brain stops getting blood. For big clots in large arteries, doctors already know that pulling the clot out with a thin tube saves people. Many hospitals had started doing the same for clots in smaller, deeper branches, hoping it would help there too. This trial suggests it does not, and that it may cause more bleeding inside the head, so some patients may be safer with medicines alone. The trial was stopped early, so the exact numbers are uncertain, but the direction of the result is a real warning.
Who's behind it: Frédéric Clarençon, Fouzi Bala and colleagues, 22 stroke centres across France.
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