Optimising mechanical thrombectomy speed and efficiency remains a primary focus in acute ischemic stroke management. In this episode, JNIS Editor, Dr. Michael Chen, talks with Dr. Keiko Fukuda, a neurointerventional fellow at UCLA and practising neurointerventionalist in Monterey, California, and Dr. Victor Szeder, Professor of Radiology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery and Director of the Neurointerventional Fellowship at UCLA.

They talk about their multi-centre paper, "Faster reperfusion with combined delivery catheter systems and aspiration first stroke thrombectomy: a multicenter analysis" (https://jnis.bmj.com/content/early/2026/06/19/jnis-2025-024700). The authors discuss data comparing combined delivery catheter systems against standard aspiration setups, highlighting significantly faster times from groin puncture to clot contact and an impressive 67% first-pass effect. They also share key clinical insights on overcoming severe arterial tortuosity.

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