Mechanical Thrombectomy for Perioperative Acute Ischemic Stroke: Two Noncardiac and Non-neurosurgical Case Reports and a Literature Review

Introduction: Perioperative acute ischemic strokes (PAISs) are rare; however, they have potentially catastrophic complications and outcomes. Endovascular therapy is the standard care in appropriately selected patients with acute ischemic stroke; nonetheless, there are no guidelines on the treatment of PAIS, and the majority of the patients receive conservative treatments. This study aimed to present two cases of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for the treatment of PAIS. Case Presentation: The first patient was a 43-year-old female who fell into a coma and had left limb dysfunction three h after undergoing hysteromyomectomy with a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 22. A right middle cerebral artery (M1) occlusion was detected on computed tomography angiography (CTA) leading to MT. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was obtained at 1 three months after treatment. The second patient was a 59-year-old male who suddenly fell into a coma and had right limb dysfunction three h after undergoing a lung cancer operation with NIHSS score of 24. The CTA showed a left M1 occlusion leading to MT. The mRS score was 1 three months after treatment. Both patients were admitted to and treated in the Wuxi Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Wuxi, China, in 2018. Conclusion: The PAIS is a rare but serious complication after noncardiac surgery. In both cases, diagnosis and treatment were very difficult. Further evidence was provided to regard MT as a useful and safe method to treat PAIS.