Hybernia post-mechanical thrombectomy – Endovascular cerebral hypothermia trial in acute ischemic stroke (post-mtech trial)

Although significant clinical improvement is achieved with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke patients, <1/4 patients have outcomes comparable to their baseline (pre-stroke) conditions. Therapeutic hypothermia is a promising method for acute neuroprotection, with multiple beneficial mechanisms, for which a reduction of brain temperature by several °C is required. Systemic hypothermia has been difficult to implement in stroke patients due to the long delay to reach target temperature, complications related to physiological counter-mechanisms to cold, and adverse events associated with whole body cooling. In contrast, targeted brain cooling may provide effective hypothermic neuroprotection, because 1) of more rapid brain cooling (minutes) and 2) it is safer (avoids systemic cooling).