Emergency blood clot removal versus medication alone for basilar artery stroke

This trial is testing whether a procedure called mechanical thrombectomy—which uses a catheter (thin tube) to physically remove a blood clot from a major artery in the back of the brain—works better than medication alone for treating stroke patients who arrive between 24 and 72 hours after their stroke began. Some patients will receive the thrombectomy procedure, while others will receive the best available medications and supportive care. Researchers will follow all participants for 90 days to see which approach leads to better recovery.

Most stroke treatments work best if given within a few hours of symptom onset, but some patients don't reach the hospital until 24–72 hours later and are no longer candidates for standard clot-busting drugs. This trial is testing whether the thrombectomy procedure can still help these patients even in this later time window.