Ischemic strokes will make up most (>80%) of the three-quarters of a million strokes that will occur in Americans this year. Reperfusion therapy is the fundamental strategy for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Reperfusion therapy may be accomplished non-invasively (intravenous thrombolysis) or invasively with catheter-based treatments (intra-arterial thrombolysis, thrombectomy, or angioplasty). Currently, a large majority of patients with acute ischemic stroke do not receive any form of reperfusion therapy owing to their delayed presentation (>3 hours) and lack of skilled man power for on-demand endovascular treatment. Paradoxically, improved success rates for reperfusion have been reported with the newer thrombectomy catheters, called "stentreivers." An option for broadening access for patients who need endovascular therapy would be to use interventional cardiologists with carotid stent experience who can help to provide 24 x 7 x 365 coverage.
