World Stroke Organization mechanical thrombectomy workshops combined with the Global Stroke Alliance builds regional capacity

@article{inoa2026world,
  title = {{World Stroke Organization mechanical thrombectomy workshops combined with the Global Stroke Alliance builds regional capacity}},
  author = {Violiza Inoa and Ryna Then and Nicole M. Cancelliere and Nitin Goyal and Karelle Spence and Michael J. Wells and Andres Fonnegra and Omar Lopez and Fernando Gonzalez and Daniel Mantilla and Alex Eusebio and Cedric Pimentel and Marc Ribo and Manuel Moreu and Serdar Geyik and Ossama Mansour and Songul Senadim Kaytanci and Cagatay Andiç and Atilla Ozcan Ozdemir and Vipul Gupta and Vikram Huded and Octavio Marques Pontes-Neto and Gaurav Goel and Erdem Gurkas and Semih Giray and Raul Nogueira and Laetitia de Villiers and Ruchi Kabra and Rajsrinivas Parthasarathy and Vitor Mendes Pereira and Vu Dang Luu and Jeyaraj Pandian and Sheila Martins and Gillian Gordon Perue},
  journal = {Frontiers in neurology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fneur.2026.1866027},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13672226},
  note = {CC BY},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - World Stroke Organization mechanical thrombectomy workshops combined with the Global Stroke Alliance builds regional capacity
AU  - Violiza Inoa
AU  - Ryna Then
AU  - Nicole M. Cancelliere
AU  - Nitin Goyal
AU  - Karelle Spence
AU  - Michael J. Wells
AU  - Andres Fonnegra
AU  - Omar Lopez
AU  - Fernando Gonzalez
AU  - Daniel Mantilla
AU  - Alex Eusebio
AU  - Cedric Pimentel
AU  - Marc Ribo
AU  - Manuel Moreu
AU  - Serdar Geyik
AU  - Ossama Mansour
AU  - Songul Senadim Kaytanci
AU  - Cagatay Andiç
AU  - Atilla Ozcan Ozdemir
AU  - Vipul Gupta
AU  - Vikram Huded
AU  - Octavio Marques Pontes-Neto
AU  - Gaurav Goel
AU  - Erdem Gurkas
AU  - Semih Giray
AU  - Raul Nogueira
AU  - Laetitia de Villiers
AU  - Ruchi Kabra
AU  - Rajsrinivas Parthasarathy
AU  - Vitor Mendes Pereira
AU  - Vu Dang Luu
AU  - Jeyaraj Pandian
AU  - Sheila Martins
AU  - Gillian Gordon Perue
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/02
JO  - Frontiers in neurology
DO  - 10.3389/fneur.2026.1866027
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13672226
AB  - Introduction: Access to mechanical thrombectomy (MT) remains limited in many low- and middle-income or resource-limited regions because of gaps in trained personnel, procedural experience, public awareness, and stroke-system readiness. The World Stroke Organization paired simulation-based MT workshops with the Global Stroke Alliance to combine hands-on neurointerventional education with regional advocacy, Ministry of Health engagement, public awareness activities, and stakeholder collaboration. This study evaluated the feasibility, scalability, and self-reported educational impact of MT workshops delivered within this broader WSO/GSA capacity-building framework.  Methods: A comprehensive 22-h curriculum was developed, incorporating didactic sessions, hands-on simulations, and complex case studies in collaboration with the Global Stroke Alliance between August 2023 and July 2025. The workshops were designed for neurointerventional physicians and tailored to regional needs. Pre- and post-course assessments measured physician confidence in MT procedures, while a three-month follow-up survey evaluated changes in MT volumes and clinical practice. Data were analyzed using summary statistics, chi-square tests, and McNemar’s tests as appropriate.  Results: Among 112 participating physicians from 24 countries, 81% completed the pre-test and 72% completed the post-test; 67% had paired pre- and post-test responses. The proportion of participants rating themselves as “very comfortable” increased from 15% pre-workshop to 41% post-workshop ( p < 0.001), with notable improvements in patient selection for MT (15–48%, p < 0.001), procedural access knowledge (15–46%, p < 0.001), thrombectomy technique (9–41%, p < 0.001), and avoiding harmful maneuvers (7–33%, p < 0.001). At 3 months, 32 participants completed follow-up, of whom 37.5% self-reported an increase in overall thrombectomy numbers.  Conclusion: Simulation-based MT workshops are feasible and scalable across multiple regions and were associated with improved self-reported procedural confidence and early self-reported changes in clinical practice. These findings support structured hands-on training as one component of broader capacity-building efforts, while highlighting the need for objective procedural volume, patient outcome, and registry-based data to determine the effect of such programs on MT access and stroke care delivery.
SN  - 1664-2295
ER  -