A Clinical Trial to Assess the Acute Safety and Functional Outcome and Recovery After STROKE: The FIRST Trial

Inclusion Criteria: * From 18 to 85 years of age. * Evidence of proximal anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (TIMI 0-1)(TICI 0-1) from CT Angiography. Target vessel occlusion may include the anterior circulation. * Presented with symptoms consistent with acute ischemic stroke within 8 hours of symptom onset. Patients who presented within 3 hours must be ineligible or refractory to IV rtPA therapy. * At time of enrollment, neurological deficit resulting in an NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score greater than 10 * Known core infarct volume assessed by CTP, CTA or DWI scans Exclusion Criteria: * History of stroke in the past 3 months. * Pre-existing neurological or psychiatric disease that could confound the study results such as a pre-stroke mRS score greater than 1 * Known severe allergy to contrast media * Uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure greater than 185 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure less than 110 mmHg) * CT evidence of the following conditions before enrollment: * Significant mass effect with midline shift * Evidence of intracranial hemorrhage * Treated with endovascular therapy for acute stroke * Life expectancy less than 90 days * Participation in another clinical investigation that could confound the evaluation of the study