Emergency blood vessel treatment for mild stroke with blocked artery

This trial is testing whether an emergency procedure called endovascular therapy — which uses a catheter to physically remove a blood clot or reopen a blocked artery — works better than medication alone for people with a specific type of mild stroke caused by a blocked basilar artery. The blocked basilar artery is a major blood vessel in the brain, and this study focuses on patients whose symptoms are getting worse over time. Researchers want to know if combining this mechanical treatment with the best medical care available can help people recover better neurological function.

Strokes caused by a blocked basilar artery can be very serious, and patients whose symptoms get worse over the first few days face higher risks of permanent disability. While emergency endovascular therapy has helped some stroke patients, it's not yet clear whether this treatment helps people with mild symptoms who are getting progressively worse, especially when the procedure is done more than 24 hours after the stroke starts.