An Overview of Meta-Analyses of Endovascular Bridging Therapies for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background. Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) is a common cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of long-term severe disability. Endovascular bridging therapies (EBT), including endovascular thrombectomy (ET) and intra-arterial thrombolytic (IAT), have been recommended to realize a favorable functional outcome for AIS patients. Methods. An overview of meta-analyses of primary randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies was performed evaluating EBT for AIS patients compared with usual care. Results. Ten meta-analyses were included in this overview. ET was associated with a higher incidence of achieving functional outcome improvement, defined as a modified Rankin scale of 0 to 1 (mRS, p=0.003), 0 to 2 (p<0.00001), and 0 to 3 (p=0.005). The risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) rate and all-cause mortality were similar between the two groups. Moreover, IAT treatment was also related to significantly improved outcomes in terms of the mRS score (p