Thrombectomy with the Tigertriever Appears to be a Safe Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Propensity Score-Matched Study

Abstract The Tigertriever, a next-generation adjustable stent retriever, represents an advancement in thrombectomy for acute cerebral infarction. This study aimed to compare its clinical effectiveness and safety with those of conventional stent retrievers. In this single-center retrospective study, we analyzed patients who underwent thrombectomy for acute cerebral infarction at our hospital between January 2023 and June 2025. Participants were divided into two groups: those treated with the Tigertriever and those treated with other conventional stent retrievers. Propensity score matching (PSM; 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching with a caliper of 0.2) was performed to adjust for baseline differences. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact test, and continuous variables using the Mann–Whitney U-test. Statistical significance was defined as p <0.05. After PSM, 100 patients (50 matched pairs) were included in the study. Successful recanalization (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction ≥2b) was achieved in 37 patients (74.0%) in the Tigertriever group and 36 patients (72.0%) in the conventional stent group. The time from puncture to recanalization was 34 minutes (21–45 minutes) in the Tigertriever group and 27 minutes (20–45 minutes) in the non-Tigertriever group (p = 0.432). First-pass recanalization was achieved in 12 patients (24.0%) in the Tigertriever group and 17 patients (34.0%) in the non-Tigertriever group (p = 0.378). Device-related bleeding complications occurred in two cases (4.0%) in the Tigertriever group and one case (2.0%) in the non-Tigertriever group (p = 1.0). Postoperative deaths occurred in three cases (6.0%) in the Tigertriever group and seven cases (14%) in the non-Tigertriever group (p = 0.318). A favorable functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale ≤2 at 3 months) was observed in 26 patients (52.0%) in the Tigertriever group and 33 patients (66.0%) in the conventional group. Thrombectomy using the Tigertriever demonstrated comparable recanalization rates, procedural times, safety, and functional outcomes to conventional stent retrievers.