"Y-stent retriever": a new rescue technique for refractory large-vessel occlusions?

Long-awaited positive trial data have shown the efficacy of endovascular treatment in patients with ischemic stroke who arrive at the hospital within the first 6 hours with large-vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation. With the introduction of stent retrievers (SRs) for mechanical thrombectomy, efficient and safe large-artery recanalization treatment can be achieved. However, sometimes there are patients who do not attain complete flow restoration following attempts with traditional maneuvers. The authors present the case of a 57-year-old man with acute ischemic stroke due to an M1 embolus that extended into both M2 trunks. This patient was successfully treated with an innovative technique in which a Solitaire SR (Covidien) and a Catch SR (Balt) were used in a "Y" configuration, for which the authors coined the term "Y-stent retriever."