Stroke Thrombectomy
Mechanical thrombectomy is an emergency, catheter-based procedure that removes a blood clot blocking a large artery in the brain during an acute ischemic stroke. Performed as quickly as possible within a limited time window, it restores blood flow to brain tissue at risk, and can dramatically improve recovery and reduce long-term disability in suitable patients.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
An ischemic stroke happens when a clot blocks an artery supplying the brain, starving brain tissue of oxygen. Time is critical — brain cells are lost every minute the blockage persists. When a large artery is blocked, mechanical thrombectomy can physically remove the clot and reopen the vessel, restoring blood flow to tissue that is at risk but not yet permanently damaged.
During the procedure, a neurointerventional specialist threads a fine catheter from an artery, usually in the groin, up to the blocked brain vessel under live X-ray, then uses a stent retriever or suction device to grasp and remove the clot. It may be combined with clot-dissolving medication given early. Because it is an emergency treatment, eligibility depends on rapid brain imaging and the time since symptoms began.
This is an emergency therapy rather than a planned, travel-for procedure, but its availability reflects a stroke-ready service with rapid imaging, a stroke unit and rehabilitation. For people with cerebrovascular disease considering planned care or a second opinion, a coordinator can arrange assessment and a transparent estimate, and specialists can review prior imaging remotely.
Who is a candidate?
- People having an acute ischemic stroke caused by a clot in a large brain artery
- Patients who present within the time window where reopening the vessel can still help
- Those in whom brain imaging shows tissue that is at risk but still salvageable
- People for whom clot-dissolving medication alone is insufficient or unsuitable
- Patients assessed by a stroke team as likely to benefit from clot removal
What happens
- 1
Rapid assessment and imaging
On arrival, urgent brain imaging (CT or MRI, often with vessel imaging) confirms a large-artery blockage and identifies salvageable tissue. The stroke team decides immediately whether thrombectomy can help.
- 2
Immediate preparation
Because time is critical, preparation is rapid. Clot-dissolving medication may be given, and you are prepared for the procedure under sedation or general anesthesia.
- 3
The procedure
A catheter is guided from a groin artery to the blocked brain vessel under live X-ray, and a stent retriever or suction device grasps and removes the clot, reopening the artery.
- 4
Stroke-unit care
After the clot is removed, you are cared for in a specialized stroke unit, where the team monitors brain function, blood pressure and recovery closely.
- 5
Rehabilitation and follow-up
Rehabilitation — which may involve physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy — supports recovery of function. A follow-up plan addresses the underlying cause and reduces the risk of another stroke.
Benefits
- Physically removes a clot blocking a large brain artery, restoring blood flow
- Can substantially improve recovery and reduce long-term disability when done promptly
- Treats blockages that clot-dissolving medication alone may not clear
- Catheter-based, reaching the brain through a small groin puncture
- Part of a coordinated stroke pathway with imaging, stroke-unit care and rehabilitation
Risks & considerations
- Bleeding, including bleeding into the brain, which the team monitors for
- Injury to a blood vessel during the procedure
- The possibility that the clot cannot be fully removed or the vessel cannot be reopened
- Outcomes depend heavily on how quickly treatment is given and the extent of prior damage
- Rare risks related to contrast or the catheter, and to anesthesia
Conditions this treats
Where it is performed
This procedure is delivered by our Neurological Sciences Center.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
Stroke Thrombectomy — frequently asked questions
It is an emergency, catheter-based procedure that mechanically removes a clot blocking a large artery in the brain during an acute ischemic stroke, reopening the vessel and restoring blood flow to tissue at risk.
Brain cells are lost every minute an artery stays blocked, so thrombectomy must be performed within a limited window after symptoms begin. The sooner blood flow is restored, the more brain tissue can be saved and the better the chance of recovery.
Clot-dissolving medication is a drug given to break up a clot, while thrombectomy physically removes it with a catheter device. For large-artery blockages the two are often combined, as medication alone may not clear a big clot.
Yes. For planned cerebrovascular care or a second opinion, share your imaging and reports and our specialists provide an independent opinion remotely. Note that thrombectomy itself is an emergency treatment, not a planned travel procedure.
Recovery is highly individual and depends on the stroke and rehabilitation, which may last weeks to months. Because this is emergency care, costs relate to acute treatment, stroke-unit stay and rehabilitation; for any planned cerebrovascular care your coordinator provides a transparent, itemized estimate rather than a fixed online price.
Related treatments
Considering stroke thrombectomy?
Share your reports for a medical second opinion and a transparent, itemized cost estimate — usually within 48 hours.