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CompletedNCT02639806Updated Dec 8, 2023

General Anesthesia for Endovascular Thrombectomy; A Pilot Study.

An observational study in Stroke, Cerebrovascular Stroke and Brain Ischemia, sponsored by University of Saskatchewan. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-12-08.

Sponsored by University of Saskatchewan · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Other
Enrollment
34
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

This study evaluates the outcomes of stroke patients treated for intravascular thrombectomy, using either a local anesthetic with sedation, or a general anesthetic. Historical data will be used for those treated with the local anesthetic, and prospective data will be used for those treated with the general anesthetic.

Read the detailed description

This is an open-label pilot study, comparing intravascular thrombectomy patients treated using either general anesthetic (prospective arm) or local anesthetic with sedation (retrospective arm), with blinded outcome evaluation.

New evidence has established that the addition of endovascular thrombectomy for large, and/or proximal occlusions improves outcome in addition to, and/or in place of tPA therapy. There have been no randomized prospective trials assessing the relationship of anesthesia on outcomes for this procedure. This procedure is routinely performed under either local anesthetic with sedation and under general anesthesia (GA). The choice between these two techniques is largely institution based. Currently in the Saskatoon Health Region (SHR) endovascular thrombectomies are performed under general anesthesia due to operator preference and the optimization of surgical conditions. In the United States and other Canadian centers, this procedure is performed safely with local anesthesia with or without sedation.

Several retrospective trials have suggested that general anesthetics are associated with poorer outcomes. It has been suggested that general anesthesia can result in a delay in the time to procedural start since it requires the presence of an anesthesiologist and the procedure can be performed under sedation without extra personnel. It is also proposed that the induction of general anesthesia can cause a decrease in blood pressure and a decrease in collateral perfusion which can result in further cellular hypoxia. Anesthesiologists , however, are able to expertly manipulate hemodynamic parameters during general anesthesia to the specific requirements of the operators potentially creating optimal tissue oxygenation conditions.

There is a need for a prospective trial to assess the effect of general anesthetic on patient outcome during endovascular thrombectomy. At this time, it is premature to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Therefore in this pilot study, adult acute ischemic stroke participants who undergo intravascular thrombectomy in Saskatchewan will receive a general anesthetic as per their current practice, and their data will be collected prospectively. This cohort of participants will then be compared to participants that underwent the same procedure in another study, who received local anesthesia with sedation. Approximately 77 prospective participants will be recruited for the prospective arm of this study.

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Conditions studied

  • Stroke
  • Cerebrovascular Stroke
  • Brain Ischemia
  • Brain Diseases
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Central Nervous System Diseases
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders
  • Nervous System Diseases
  • Vascular Diseases

Keywords

  • stroke
  • endovascular
  • thrombectomy
  • ischemic stroke
  • general anesthetic
  • local anesthetic
  • recanalization
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In context

Stroke

7,286 studies on the registry are indexed under Stroke; 2,007 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 34 is below the median of 160 across 1,692 observational studies indexed under Stroke.

Browse Stroke studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Saskatchewan is the lead sponsor of 237 studies on the registry; 33 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Adult acute ischemic stroke participants who undergo intravascular thrombectomy in Saskatchewan will be prospectively recruited for the prospective arm.

Inclusion criteria

  • Acute ischemic stroke
  • Age 18 or greater
  • Onset (last seen well) time to treatment less than 12 hours
  • Disabling stroke defined as a baseline NIHSS > 5 at the time of treatment
  • Pre-stroke independent functional status in activities of daily living. Patient must be living in their own home, apartment or seniors lodge where no nursing care is required
  • Pre-enrollment non-intubated state based on acceptable GCS for the prospective Cohort
  • Small core proximal occlusion as confirmed by CT angiography (carotid, M1 MCA or M1 MCA equivalent)
  • Intention to initiate endovascular treatment within 60 minutes of baseline non-contrast CT
  • Sevoflurane used during thrombectomy
  • Appropriate consent provided

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Baseline non-contrast CT reveals a moderate/large core defined as extensive early ischemic changes of ASPECTS 0-5 in the territory of symptomatic intracranial occlusion
  • Hemorrhagic stroke
  • Clinical history, past imaging or clinical judgment suggests that the intracranial occlusion is chronic
  • Intubated state based on GCS at any time prior to induction of general anesthesia for prospective cohort
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Other
Enrollment
34 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Prospective - General Anesthetic

    The prospective treatment group will have an anesthetic induction according to the anesthetic provider's preference that will include propofol and fentanyl as IV induction agents and rocuronium as a muscle paralytic. Maintenance of anesthesia for the treatment group will include sevoflurane with a target end tidal concentration of 1-1.5%, rocuronium as a paralytic as needed, opioids and any other standard medication deemed necessary by the provider.

    Drug: Sevoflurane

  • Retrospective - Local Anesthetic with Sedation

    The retrospective group will have received local anesthetic from the surgeon using lidocaine injected subcutaneously and received sedation using fentanyl and midazolam as needed to achieve the desired level of sedation.

    Drug: Lidocaine

Interventions

  • DrugSevoflurane
  • DrugLidocaine
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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Shift in the mRS score, defined by a proportional odds model.

    Time frame: 90 Days

Secondary outcomes

  1. The proportion of patients who achieve a NIHSS score 0-2

    Stroke severity. Clinical scale outcome score from 0 to 42.

    Time frame: 90 Days

  2. The proportion of patients who achieve a mRS 0-2

    Functional outcome. Dichotomous outcome, reported as independent (mRS 0-2) vs dependence or death (mRS 3-6). In addition, shift analysis (proportional odds model) representing the odds of improvement within the scale with treatment.

    Time frame: 90 days

  3. Recanalization of the target arterial occlusive lesion

    Measured by fluoroscopy - Demonstrated during (or as part of) the procedure.

    Time frame: Day 0

  4. Time from diagnostic CT to procedure initiation

    Time frame: Day 0

  5. Time from the start of the procedure to vascular recanalization

    Time frame: Day 0

  6. Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events

    Episodes of hypo/hypertensive and bradycardic episodes that required the use of pharmacologic agent.; Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage; Major bleeding; Contrast nephropathy; Malignant MCA infarction; Hemicraniectomy; Aspiration Pneumonia; Adverse airway event; other

    Time frame: 90 Days

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Study locations

1 site
  • Royal University Hospital
    Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W8, Canada
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 8, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02639806
Lead sponsor
University of Saskatchewan
Collaborators
University of Calgary
Responsible party
Michael Kelly (Professor, MD, PHD, University of Saskatchewan) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 24, 2015
Start date
Jan 2016
Primary completion
Dec 2020
Completion
Dec 2020
Last update
Dec 8, 2023

Study contacts

Michael Kelly, MD, PhD
principal investigator · University of Saskatchewan

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Dec 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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