Conclusion
Theoretically, thrombectomy appears to be a valuable approach to improve outcomes after PPCI and manual devices have demonstrated benefits on surrogate markers of reperfusion and clinical outcomes in many randomised trials and meta-analyses. However the largest RCT performed to date did not demonstrate an association between manual thrombectomy use and improved clinical outcomes. Mechanical thrombectomy, on the other hand, has failed to demonstrate any clinical benefit in the majority of studies performed including metaanalyses with some suggesting a harmful effect. Of concern, one recent meta-analysis highlighted potentially higher stroke rates with both forms of thrombectomy use although this was not seen in the TASTE study. Further large clinical trials in combination with registry data will gain confidence for mandating clinical change in practice in favour of thrombectomy should they prove positive. Until then, current evidence does not fully support routine use of thrombectomy.