DIRECT-SAFE: A Randomized Controlled Trial of DIRECT Endovascular Clot Retrieval Versus Standard Bridging Thrombolysis With Endovascular Clot Retrieval

The study will be a multicentre, prospective, randomized, open label, blinded endpoint (PROBE) phase 3 trial (2 arm with 1:1 randomization) in ischemic stroke patients within 4.5 hours of stroke onset. Randomised patients will be stratified for site of baseline arterial occlusion into one of three groups: 1. internal carotid artery (ICA) 2. middle cerebral artery (MCA) 3. basilar artery (BA). Patients will be randomised to either bridging intravenous thrombolysis with endovascular clot retrieval (ECR), or direct endovascular clot retrieval.