GA vs. CS for Endovascular Stroke Therapy

About This Study

After a stroke caused by a blockage (clot) in a blood vessel in the brain, patients may have the clot removed by threading a catheter from the groin up to the affected area of the brain. An anesthesiologist is involved in the patient's care during this procedure to maximize patient safety and procedural efficiency. The options for anesthesia for this procedure are general anesthesia (where the patient is unconscious) or sedation (where the patient is in a relaxed, calm, sleepy condition). Currently, it is unclear which of these anesthetic options contributes to the best patient outcome. The investigators would like to investigate whether or not one method of anesthesia (general or sedation) is better to use than the other when removing the clot.

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• •General Anesthesia
• •Conscious Sedation with Remifentanil

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria: All patients with ischemic stroke who:

* are greater than 18 years of age
* considered to be a candidate for endovascular therapy by the London Health Sciences Stroke team
* presenting within the first 8 hours after symptom onset EXCEPT THOSE for whom general anesthesia is thought to be clearly indicated or contraindicated, by the attending anesthesiologist.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients in whom the attending anesthesiologist considered that there was a clear indication for either GA or sedation