Comparative analysis of syringes versus pump devices in benchtop aspiration thrombectomy models: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Although direct contact aspiration has emerged as one of the leading techniques for mechanical thrombectomy (MT), there is still ongoing debate about the aspiration/suction pump devices that can optimize recanalization rates. To address this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis comparing the aspiration efficacy of 60 ml syringe and pump devices in benchtop MT models. Methods: Systematic literature review was conducted using Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Outcomes of interest included flow rate and vacuum pressure delivered by a 60 ml syringe and several aspiration pumps. We used a random effects model to calculate the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and a statistically significant difference was considered as a two-sided p-value of less than 0.05. Results: We included six benchtop studies comparing 60 ml syringes and vacuum pumps. Our meta-analysis showed that there were no significant differences in vacuum pressure (MD:0.71inHg, 95% CI: [−0.81;2.23], p = 0.359) and flow rate (MD:0.27 mL/s, 95% CI: [−3,07; 3.61], p = 0.873) between 60 ml syringes and vacuum pumps groups. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated comparable performance in terms of vacuum pressure and flow rates between a 60 ml syringe and a heterogeneous combination of commercially available aspiration pumps.