Gaps in the access to endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke: estimating neurointerventional training needs and modelling implementation impact based on current thrombectomy indicators

Abstract Introduction Endovascular therapy (EVT) has become an increasingly important part of acute stroke management. However, the lack of trained neurointerventionalists represents a key barrier in expanding availability of EVT in Europe. This project aimed to investigate the association between the number of neurointerventionalists and overall EVT rates. Patients and methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using publicly available data from the Global Burden of Disease Report 2021 and the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (Stroke Service Tracker). Data on the number of neurointerventionalists across 35 European countries were surveyed through a structured survey distributed via the Resident and Research Fellow Section (RRFS) of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN). Correlation analyses were performed to estimate the association between neurointerventionalist density per served population, EVT rates and stroke-related mortality and morbidity. Results Survey response rate was 71% (25/35 countries). The proportion of acute ischaemic stroke patients treated with EVT ranged from 0.05% to 14.96% of people with ischaemic stroke, and the number of neurointerventionalists ranged from 9 to 137 per country and from 0.3 to 7.5 per million inhabitants. There was a positive correlation between the number of neurointerventionalists per population served and EVT rates (Spearman coefficient ρ = 0.507; 95% CI, 0.209–0.719). Greater availability of trained neurointerventionalists was moderately associated with lower national ischaemic-stroke mortality (ρ = −0.473; 95% CI, −0.746 to −0.065) and lower overall disability-adjusted life years (ρ = −0.444; 95% CI, −0.729 to −0.027). Discussion and conclusion The number of neurointerventionalists correlates positively with the annual volume of EVT across European countries; higher EVT rates were also associated with lower stroke-related mortality and disability; however, these associations are unadjusted for other important confounders and causality cannot be inferred. These data suggest an urgent need to increase neurointerventional capacity in Europe, for example, by expanding dedicated national training programmes and enhancing support from national and international professional societies.