New Delhi, October 28, 2026: A new clinical trial suggests that some patients with severe clot-caused strokes may benefit from mechanical clot removal even 24 to 72 hours after symptoms begin, potentially extending the treatment window for carefully selected cases.
Study Included 336 Patients
The LATE-MT trial enrolled 336 patients at comprehensive stroke centres in China.
All had an acute ischemic stroke caused by a large-vessel blockage in the anterior circulation and still had brain tissue that imaging showed could potentially be saved.
Thrombectomy Improved 90-Day Outcomes
Half the patients received endovascular thrombectomy plus standard medical care, while the rest received standard treatment alone.
At 90 days, patients who underwent clot removal had better overall functional outcomes, with an odds ratio of 1.74 for a more favourable disability score.
Median Treatment Time Was 38.5 Hours
The median time from symptom onset — or from when the patient was last known to be well — to randomisation was 38.5 hours.
That is substantially later than the treatment window currently used for most thrombectomy patients.
Benefit Came With Higher Risks
The procedure was not without danger.
Symptomatic bleeding inside the brain occurred in 4.8% of patients receiving thrombectomy and in none of those receiving standard care alone.
The 90-day death rate was 6.0% in the thrombectomy group compared with 1.8% in the control group.
Advanced Imaging Was Crucial
The researchers did not treat all late-arriving stroke patients.
Specialised brain scans were used to identify people who still had salvageable tissue, meaning parts of the brain had not yet suffered irreversible damage despite the delayed presentation.
Findings Do Not Mean Patients Should Wait
Doctors stress that the study should not be interpreted as permission to delay treatment.
Stroke remains a medical emergency, and patients should reach a stroke-capable hospital as quickly as possible because brain damage increases with time.
Current Treatment Window Could Eventually Expand
Mechanical thrombectomy is already established for selected large-vessel strokes within the first several hours and, in carefully chosen cases, up to 24 hours.
The new findings suggest that some patients beyond that window may also benefit, but wider adoption would require specialist assessment and consideration by treatment guidelines.
More Research Needed
The trial was conducted in China, and researchers say further studies will be important before the findings are applied broadly across different healthcare systems and populations.
For now, the study offers evidence that time alone may not always determine eligibility for clot removal if imaging shows that viable brain tissue remains.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine, The Indian Express
Supreme News Network
