AAN 2022 | Global thrombectomy disparities survey

Dileep Yavagal, MD, University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, discusses the results of a survey evaluating global disparities in access to mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Across 65 regions, close to 800 responses were obtained, whereby it was possible to determine the access rate to MT. Dr Yavagal states that the highest access rates in the world were in Australia, with a median access rate of 45%. However, the disparity was of great interest; there was a 450-fold lower access rate in the lowest access country – that being Bangladesh. It is further mentioned that several countries in sub-Saharan Africa had no access to thrombectomy at all. With the severity of disparity amongst countries, a collaborative global effort to bridge the gap and increase the ease of access to MT is of great importance. This interview took place at the American Academy of Neurology 2022 Congress in Seattle, WA.