'Clot Picker' can improve outcome - sometimes

I've been reading about research results as reported in the World Congress of Neurology, and ran across an example of both good news and not-so-good news.

First, there's the item how a 'Clot Picker' rescues tPA stroke failures:

Treating ischemic stroke patients with endovascular therapy when initial tPA thrombolysis was unsuccessful led to good 3-month outcomes in most cases, a researcher said here.

Then, though, the not-so-good news - how endovascular therapy had poor outcomes in the elderly:

Only about one-quarter of stroke patients 80 and older who underwent endovascular treatment after thrombolysis had good functional recovery, according to a single-center study reported here.

A couple of notes - first, all this research involved a relatively small number of people. Something to keep in mind. Also, I think these results can show the need for qualified expertise in treating stroke patients.