AJDRAJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kerber, C.W.
Right arrow Articles by Nelson, P.K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kerber, C.W.
Right arrow Articles by Nelson, P.K.

Rapid Intracranial Clot Removal with a New Device: The Alligator Retriever

C.W. Kerbera, I. Wankeb, J. Bernard, Jr.c, H.H. Wood, M.W. Liue and P.K. Nelsonf

a Department of Neuroradiology, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, Calif
b Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany
c Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates, Charlotte, NC
d Section of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio
e Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
f Department of Radiology, New York University Medical Center, New York


Figure 1
View larger version (73K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]

  		Fig 1. The jaws of the device, now fully open, protrude through a microcatheter tip. We strongly recommend that potential users lead the microcatheter first to the point of obstruction with a soft guidewire, then exchange the guidewire for the ARD, extending it just beyond the tip of the microcatheter around the thrombus.


Figure 2
View larger version (71K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]

  		Fig 2. Once the ARD is in position, we gently and smoothly push the catheter forward, slightly closing the jaws of the device over this gelatin-simulated thrombus.


Figure 3
View larger version (121K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]

  		Fig 3. A, Frontal angiogram from patient 1. The occlusion of the distal M1 segment is apparent and, as will be seen later on the post-treatment frontal image (F), covers the most lateral lenticulostriate artery.

B, The magnified frontal working view. Images C–E are made at this working projection.

C, We place the microcatheter tip at the point of obstruction.

D, The ARD is extended 3 mm beyond the catheter tip

E, Both microcatheter and device are withdrawn about 2 cm. Injection of contrast agent shows reperfusion of the distal vessels.

F, The pretreatment angiogram (A) can be compared with the posttreatment injection. Because the striate artery was covered, the patient developed a small capsular infarction.





Copyright © 2008 by the American Society of Neuroradiology. Print ISSN: 0195-6108 Online ISSN: 1936-959X