Two Ways to Remove Stroke Clots from Large Brain Arteries
Compares two clot removal methods in adults having a stroke from a blocked artery.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: SUPERSTAR: Aspiration vs. Stent Retriever in Anterior Circulation LVO
Key facts
- Where
- Shanghai, ChinaSee the site
Where in China
- Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai, ChinaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital
- Trial code
- NCT07555977
- Record updated
- 7 October 2026
- Original description
This is a multicenter, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomized controlled trial comparing super large bore catheter aspiration versus stent retriever thrombectomy as the first-line technique for anterior circulation large vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke. Eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke due to internal carotid artery intracranial segment and/or middle cerebral artery M1 occlusion will be randomized 1:1 to receive either aspiration using a super large bore catheter (inner diameter ≥0.080 inch) or stent retriever thrombectomy (allowing balloon guiding catheters or intermediate catheters with inner diameter <0.080 inch). The primary outcome is the ordinal modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days post-procedure. Key secondary outcomes include the proportion of patients with mRS 0-2 at 90 days, change in NIHSS at 24 hours and 7 days, and various angiographic and safety endpoints. The trial plans to enroll 708 patients across approximately 30 centers in China. The total study duration is 24-36 months, with each patient participating for 3 months.Read full original descriptionShow less
Super Large Bore Catheter Aspiration Versus Stent Retriever Thrombectomy as First Line Technique for Anterior Circulation Large Vessel Occlusion in Acute Ischemic Stroke
This is a multicenter, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomized controlled trial comparing super large bore catheter aspiration versus stent retriever thrombectomy as the first-line technique for anterior circulation large vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke. Eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke due to internal carotid artery intracranial segment and/or middle cerebral artery M1 occlusion will be randomized 1:1 to receive either aspiration using a super large bore catheter (inner diameter ≥0.080 inch) or stent retriever thrombectomy (allowing balloon guiding catheters or intermediate catheters with inner diameter <0.080 inch). The primary outcome is the ordinal modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days post-procedure. Key secondary outcomes include the proportion of patients with mRS 0-2 at 90 days, change in NIHSS at 24 hours and 7 days, and various angiographic and safety endpoints. The trial plans to enroll 708 patients across approximately 30 centers in China. The total study duration is 24-36 months, with each patient participating for 3 months.
Inclusion: Age ≥ 18 years; Clinically diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke, and pre-procedure imaging confirms that the culprit vessel is occlusion of the intracranial segment of the internal carotid artery and/or the middle cerebral artery M1 segment; Pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-1; Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥ 6; Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) ≥ 3; Time from symptom onset to initiation of endovascular treatment (arterial puncture) < 24 hours; symptom onset time is defined as the "last known well" time; Intravenous thrombolysis and/or mechanical thrombectomy are performed according to local guidelines, and intravenous thrombolysis does not delay mechanical thrombectomy; Written informed consent is obtained from the patient or a family member.
Exclusion: Previous intracranial aneurysm or vascular malformation in the culprit vessel; Concurrent participation in another clinical drug or device study; Imaging shows acute or subacute intracranial hemorrhage (excluding microbleeds); Cerebral embolism caused by infection or bacterial endocarditis; Presence of a life-threatening illness within 6 months that would prevent 3-month follow-up; Pregnancy, psychiatric illness, severe hepatic or renal insufficiency, severe heart failure; Systemic infection; Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes the patient unsuitable for participation in this study; Imaging indicates an intracranial tumor (excluding meningiomas <2 cm in diameter) or mass effect caused by a tumor, such as midline shift; The culprit vessel lesion is considered to be chronic atherosclerotic stenosis and occlusion; Pre-procedure imaging suggests that the lesion is due to dissection; Metastatic tumor.