Shanghai Changhai Hospital

PROTECT-MT Trial Suggests Worse Outcomes with Balloon Guide Catheters in Stroke Thrombectomy

- The PROTECT-MT trial, a randomized controlled study, indicated that stroke thrombectomy using balloon guide catheters (BGCs) may lead to inferior functional outcomes compared to conventional guide catheters. - The trial was halted early due to safety concerns, resulting in a smaller sample size, which investigators believe makes the findings potentially inconclusive. - Results showed an adjusted common odds ratio of 0.66 (95% CI, 0.45–0.98; p=0.037) in the modified Rankin scale (mRS) shift analysis, suggesting worse outcomes in the BGC group at 90 days. - Despite being the largest RCT on BGCs versus conventional guide catheters, researchers emphasize the need for further studies to fully understand the role of BGCs in interventional stroke care.