The procedure was carried out successfully at the Interventional Neuroradiology Department of the Mother Teresa University Hospital Centre (QSUT) in Tirana, where a fully operational thrombectomy service has been available to patients for several days.

The government head said the procedure marked an important step in expanding and modernising interventional neuroradiology services in Albania. In stroke cases, every minute is critical, as restoring blood flow to the brain as quickly as possible can reduce neurological damage and improve recovery, he said.

The new service is supported by a biplane angiography system and an interventional radiology unit, allowing doctors to diagnose and treat acute ischemic stroke through mechanical thrombectomy and perform advanced procedures for other vascular and cerebrovascular conditions, including aneurysms.

The facility has the capacity to perform around 200 advanced endovascular procedures a year, according to the government.

Further expansion is planned in 2026, with a linear accelerator due to be installed at the hospital’s neurosurgery department for the treatment of patients with brain tumours.

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