Stroke intervention: catheter-based therapy for acute ischemic stroke.

The majority (>80%) of the three-quarters of a million strokes that will occur in the United States this year are ischemic in nature. The treatment of acute ischemic stroke is very similar to acute myocardial infarction, which requires timely reperfusion therapy for optimal results. The majority of patients with acute ischemic stroke do not receive any form of reperfusion therapy, unlike patients with acute myocardial infarction. Improving outcomes for acute stroke will require patient education to encourage early presentation, an aggressive expansion of qualified hospitals, and willing providers and early imaging strategies to match patients with their best options for reperfusion therapy to minimize complications.