Remote Training of Neurointerventions by Audiovisual Streaming : Experiences from the European ESMINT-EYMINT E-Fellowship Program.

BACKGROUND: Remote access of trainees to training centers via video streaming (tele-observership, e­fellowship) emerges as an alternative to acquire knowledge in endovascular interventions. Situational awareness is a summary term that is also used in surgical procedures for perceiving and understanding the situation and projecting what will happen next. A high situational awareness would serve as prerequisite for meaningful learning success during tele-observerships. We hypothesized that live perception of the angiographical procedures using streaming technology is feasible and sufficient to gain useful situational awareness of the procedure. METHODS: During a European tele-observership organized by the European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (ESMINT) and its trainee association (EYMINT), a total of six neurointerventional fellows in five countries observed live cases performed by experienced neurointerventionalists (mentors) in six different high-volume neurovascular centers across Europe equipped with live-streaming technology (Tegus Medical, Hamburg, Germany). Cases were prospectively evaluated during a 12-month period, followed by a final questionnaire after completion of the course. RESULTS: A total of 102/161 (63%) cases with a 1:1 allocation of fellow and mentor were evaluated during a 12-month period. Most frequent conditions were ischemic stroke (27.5%), followed by embolization of unruptured aneurysms (25.5%) and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) (15.7%). A high level of situational awareness was reported by fellows in 75.5% of all cases. After finishing the program, the general improvement of neurointerventional knowledge was evaluated to be extensive (1/6 fellows), substantial (3/6), and moderate (2/6). The specific fields of improvement were procedural knowledge (6/6 fellows), technical knowledge (3/6) and complication management (2/6). CONCLUSION: Online streaming technology facilitates location-independent training of complex neurointerventional procedures through high levels of situational awareness and can therefore supplement live hands-on-training. In addition, it leads to a training effect for fellows with a perceived improvement of their neurointerventional knowledge.

Distal Transradial Artery Access for Neuroangiography and Neurointerventions : Pitfalls and Exploring the Boundaries.

INTRODUCTION: The distal transradial approach (dTRA) is progressively gaining more clinical use in the fields of cardiology and other vascular interventions, as it offers a number of advantages compared to conventional radial approach (TRA). These include lower rates of vascular occlusion which permits preservation of the proximal radial artery for future procedures in the event of a distal occlusion. AIM: To share the experience in the use of dTRA for neurointerventions, showing its advantages, pitfalls as well as sharing our optimized puncture and hemostatic ultrarapid compression protocols to improve the use of this vascular access. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of our experience of diagnostic and interventional procedures performed via dTRA using an optimized protocol for puncture and postpuncture compression of the dTRA was performed. The rate of complications (hematoma and arterial dissection at puncture site) femoral crossover, and assessment of postprocedural stenosis/occlusion with the ultrarapid compression protocol were also assessed. RESULTS: From March 2019 to July 2020 a total of 100 distal radial procedures were carried out and 53 diagnostic angiograms (53%) and 47 interventional procedures (47%) were included in the analysis. We achieved a 96% technical success, with a femoral crossover requirement in 3 cases (3%), and one conventional TRA crossover due to puncture failure. Of the patients 3 presented puncture site hematomas (3%) with no intervention required, 61 patients (61%) underwent the ultrarapid hemostasis protocol in association with a hemostatic pad. Ultrasound follow-up was performed in 20 patients (20%) at 1-2 months with 1 case of occlusion (5%) and 2 of radial stenosis (10%). In all 3 cases proximal radial artery remained patent. CONCLUSION: The dTRA is a safe and feasible access route for angiography and neurointerventions. Using vasodilators prepuncture, we attained a variable increase in the vascular diameter facilitating puncture and reducing the risk of occlusion and vascular spasm. A rapid deflation protocol for postpuncture hemostasis does not significantly increase the hematoma rate.

Stent-retriever alone versus combined use of stent-retriever and contact aspiration technique for middle cerebral artery M2 occlusions: a propensity score analysis.

BACKGROUND: The optimal endovascular treatment (EVT) technique for middle cerebral artery (MCA) M2 segment occlusions remains unknown. We aim to analyze whether reperfusion rate, procedure times, procedure-related complications, and clinical outcome differed between patients with isolated M2 occlusions who underwent stent-retriever (SR) alone versus combined SR and contact aspiration (CA) as a front-line EVT. METHODS: Patients who underwent EVT for isolated MCA-M2 occlusion were recruited from the prospectively ongoing ROSSETTI registry. Patients were divided regarding the EVT approach into SR alone versus SR+CA and propensity score matching was used to achieve baseline balance. Demographic, procedural, safety, and clinical outcomes were compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of first-pass effect (FPE) and 90-day modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0-2. RESULTS: 214 patients underwent EVT for M2 occlusion, 125 treated with SR alone and 89 with SR+CA. Propensity score matchnig analysis selected 134 matched patients. The rates of FPE (42% vs 40%, p=1.000) and 90-day mRS 0-2 (60% vs 51%, p=0.281) were comparable between groups. Patients treated with SR alone had lower need of rescue therapy (p=0.006), faster times to reperfusion (p<0.001), and lower procedure-related complications (p=0.031). Higher initial Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score was an independent predictor of FPE. Age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and procedure duration were significant predictors of good clinical outcome at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: As front-line modality in M2 occlusions, the SR alone approach results in similar rates of reperfusion and good clinical outcomes to combined SR+CA and might be advantageous due to faster reperfusion times and fewer adverse events.

COVID-19 and Ischemic Stroke: Clinical and Neuroimaging Findings.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: SARS-CoV-2 causes multiorgan disease due to altered coagulability and microangiopathy. Patients may have an increased risk of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). Our objective was to analyze clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of patients with ischemic CVA during the pandemic peak in our region, in order to identify atypical presentations. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of patients admitted under code-stroke protocol to our center with a final diagnosis of ischemic brain infarction. We analyzed the main imaging and demographic characteristics and reviewed neuroimaging for atypical presentations. RESULTS: One-hundred patients with confirmed ischemic CVA were included. Nineteen had positive polymerase chain reaction testing for SARS-CoV-2 on admission. These patients had a lower prevalence of proximal arterial occlusion on imaging, higher in-hospital mortality, and worse baseline disability. No differences were identified in affected vascular territory, volume of infarction, initial CT stroke score, prevalence of hemorrhagic transformation, gender, age, cardiovascular risk factors, time to admission, symptom severity on entry, or decision to treat with thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy. Prevalence of COVID-19 in our code-stroke sample was higher than that for our province during this time period. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 group had more in-hospital mortality, less proximal arterial occlusion on CT or MR angiography, and lower baseline modified Rankin Scale score. We suggest a possibly higher proportion of microangiopathic involvement or undetected distal large-vessel occlusion in the COVID-19 stroke group. Excess mortality was explained by severe respiratory failure. Otherwise, stroke patients with COVID-19 did not differ demographically or clinically from those without the illness.