Incomplete Modeling of the Thromboembolectomy Technique

To the Editor:Dr Brekenfeld and his team are to be congratulated on their excellent study comparing the efficacy of thromboembolectomy devices.1 This is an important scientific comparison to make and to continue making as other devices appear on the market.The use of the internal carotid (or ascending pharyngeal) artery and lingular artery in pigs for clot retrieval testing initially seems to be a good choice due to the anatomic similarities with the basilar and middle cerebral arteries in humans. However, some concerns must be addressed. First, these are easy angiographic targets in pigs, much easier than in the human targets that they are to simulate. The angiography presented in the article is limited, and the …