Optimising mechanical thrombectomy speed and efficiency remains a primary focus in acute ischemic stroke management. In this episode, JNIS Editor, Dr. Michael Chen, talks with Dr. Keiko Fukuda, a neurointerventional fellow at UCLA and practising neurointerventionalist in Monterey, California, and Dr. Victor Szeder, Professor of Radiology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery and Director of the Neurointerventional Fellowship at UCLA.

They talk about their multi-centre paper, "Faster reperfusion with combined delivery catheter systems and aspiration first stroke thrombectomy: a multicenter analysis" (https://jnis.bmj.com/content/early/2026/06/19/jnis-2025-024700). The authors discuss data comparing combined delivery catheter systems against standard aspiration setups, highlighting significantly faster times from groin puncture to clot contact and an impressive 67% first-pass effect. They also share key clinical insights on overcoming severe arterial tortuosity.

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

Evaluating the 90-day safety and technical feasibility of a percutaneous transvenous approach represents a critical milestone for routing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) – the clear liquid that cushions the brain and spine – directly into the venous system.

In this episode, JNIS Editor, Dr. Michael Chen, talks with corresponding author Professor Adel Malek (Tufts Medical Center, Boston) (1) to discuss his high-impact paper, "Safety of endovascular shunting for normal pressure hydrocephalus from a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study”.

They discuss the results of this 66-patient, prospective trial, exploring how the novel eShunt system accesses the cerebellopontine angle cistern to drain CSF and relieve pressure. 

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

(1) Neurosurgeon Adel Malek, MD, PhD. Chief of the Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Division in the Department of Neurosurgery, Tufts Medical Center; Professor of Neurosurgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA.

The JNIS Podcast is produced by Letícia Amorim, and is edited by Pritesh Kapadia.

Achieving near-complete reperfusion in medium vessel occlusions (MeVO) is linked to smaller final infarct volumes.  However, this did not translate into a statistically significant shift in 90-day functional independence.  

In this episode,  JNIS Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Michael Chen, and Professor Johanna Ospel (1) discuss the post-hoc analysis of the ESCAPE-MeVO trial, titled "Reperfusion grade and clinical outcome following medium vessel occlusion thrombectomy in the Endovascular Treatment to Improve Outcomes for Medium Vessel Occlusion trial". 

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

(1) Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Calgary and Senior Lecturer at the University of Basel.

The JNIS Podcast is produced by Letícia Amorim, and is edited by Pritesh Kapadia.

Headache affects up to 90% of patients following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), often requiring high-dose opioids that can complicate neurological monitoring. 

In this episode, JNIS Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Michael Chen, is joined by Professor Peter Kan¹ to discuss a prospective pilot study investigating a novel dural therapy: the infusion of lidocaine (with or without dexamethasone) via the middle meningeal artery (MMA) during aneurysm embolisation. 

They explore the safety of this targeted approach, its impact on Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores, and its potential as an opioid-sparing strategy in the neuro-ICU.

Link to the discussed paper: "Middle meningeal artery infusion for headaches after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a pilot study".

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

Can aqueductal stenosis be treated through a minimally invasive endovascular approach without transgressing brain parenchyma?

In this episode, JNIS Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Michael Chen, speaks with neuro-interventional radiologist Dr. Michal Obrzut¹ about a neurointerventional approach to the management of obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to aqueductal stenosis.

The author describes the underlying concept, technical feasibility in cadaveric models, and potential implications for minimally invasive neurosurgical practice.

Link to the discussed paper: "A novel neurointerventional subarachnoid aqueductoplasty technique for the treatment of aqueductal stenosis: a cadaveric feasibility study"

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

(1) Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, Florida, USA

Medical professionals can oftentimes fall under the category of "second victims", as they experience burnout and moral injury from the impacts of their work. Over the course of a neurointerventionalist's medical career, serious complications in procedures are sadly inevitable. These can be difficult to process, and there are not always the systems in place to provide the support needed, either inside or outside of the hospital. A new survey has been carried out to assess the severity and prevalence of negative psychological effects on physicians who have experienced these complications. Dr. Ansaar Rai¹ joins JNIS Editor-in-Chief Dr. Michael Chen to discuss the original research piece, "Unseen wounds: a multinational investigation of neurointerventionalists on the psychological toll of complications". 

(1) Interventional Neuroradiology, West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA

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Dr Donald Heck (1) and Dr Peter Kan (2) join JNIS Editor-in-Chief Dr. Michael Chen to discuss the commentary “Middle meningeal artery embolization in the routine care of chronic subdural hematoma?” by D.V. Heck et al.

They highlight key debates around efficacy, safety, and workflow integration as embolization moves closer to becoming a routine therapeutic option.

(1) Triad Radiology Associates, Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

Pulsatile tinnitus — the perception of a rhythmic sound in sync with the heartbeat — can be a key indicator of underlying vascular or structural pathology. In this episode, JNIS new Editor-in-Chief Dr. Michael Chen speaks with Dr. Madhavi Duvvuri and Dr. Matthew Robert Amans, authors of Non-invasive imaging modalities for diagnosing pulsatile tinnitus: a comprehensive review and recommended imaging algorithm. They are both from the University of California San Francisco, USA.

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

In the SCENT trial, researchers investigated the effects of the Surpass flow diverter system for treating wide-necked aneurysms. Five-year results of this trial have recently been published in JNIS, presenting the safety and effectiveness outcomes of treatment with the Surpass Streamline flow diverter system. The study analyses the rates of aneurysm occlusion and adverse events.

Editor-in-Chief of JNIS, Dr. Felipe C. Albuquerque, interviews Dr. Philip Meyers¹, author of the paper: Five-year results of the SCENT trial with Surpass flow diverters to treat large or giant wide-neck aneurysms

1. Radiology and Neurological Surgery, Columbia University, New York, USA

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

High risk factors for stroke such as smoking and blood pressure are not equally represented throughout the patient population. These are just two of the socioeconomic influences on cerebrovascular disease. One way to view this association is through the lens of the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a measure of neighbourhood-level deprivation, and this was the approach of the study discussed in this episode. The study evaluated the association between the ADI and the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms compared with unruptured intracranial aneurysms across multiple centres. Editor-in-Chief of JNIS, Dr. Felipe C. Albuquerque, interviews Dr. Alexandra Paul¹, author of the paper: Multicenter study of association between socioeconomic status and treatment of ruptured cerebral aneurysms compared to unruptured cerebral aneurysms: insights from 4,517 patients using the area deprivation index

1. Department of Neurosurgery, Albany Medical Center, Albany, New York, USA

Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.