Recanalization therapy for acute ischemic stroke, part 1: surgical embolectomy and chemical thrombolysis.

Cerebral revascularization approaches for acute ischemic stroke greatly expanded during the past decade. Many new revascularization strategies are currently being assessed, while others continue to gain in popularity, offering hope to those with an otherwise refractory disease. We discuss historical and current progress toward successful recanalization, as well as the efforts being made to develop a safe and efficacious method of revascularization in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.