Efficacy and Safety of Balloon Guide Catheter in Mechanical Thrombectomy Patients

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older * A clinical diagnosis of acute stroke, with a deficit on the NIHSS of 2 points or more. * Intracranial arterial occlusion of the distal intracranial carotid artery or middle (M1/M2) or anterior (A1/A2) cerebral artery, demonstrated with CTA, MRA, or DSA. * Treatment can be initiated (groin puncture) within 6 hours of symptom onset. * Planning to mechanical thrombectomy with a stenting retriever. * Signed informed consent prior to entering study. Exclusion Criteria: * Moderate stenosis, severe stenosis, or occlusion of the ipsilateral extracranial carotid artery. * Previously deployed stents in the ipsilateral carotid artery. * Dissections of the ipsilateral carotid artery. * Known hemorrhagic diathesis, coagulation factor deficiency, or oral anticoagulant therapy with INR \> 3.0. * Baseline platelet count \< 50.000/µL. * Baseline blood glucose of \< 50mg/dL or \>400mg/dl. * Severe, sustained hypertension (SBP \> 220 mm Hg or DBP \> 110 mm Hg). * Renal insufficiency with creatinine ≥ 3 mg/dl. * Patients in sedation and intubated patients could not be included if baseline NIHSS is not obtained by a neurologist or emergency physician prior to sedation or intubation. * Seizures at stroke onset which would preclude obtaining a baseline NIHSS. * Unlikely to be available for 90 days follow-up (e.g. no fixed home address, visitor from overseas). * Subject participating in a study involving an investigational drug or device that would impact this study.