Background: Retrievable stents and aspiration catheters have been developed to provide more effective arterial recanalisation in acute ischaemic stroke. Aims: The aim of this analysis was to test the effect of mechanical thrombectomy on mortality and longterm neurological outcome in patients presenting with acute large-vessel anterior circulation ischaemic stroke. Methods: A structured search identified randomised controlled trials of thrombectomy (using a retrievable stent or aspiration catheter) versus control on a background of medical therapy which included intravenous thrombolysis if appropriate. The primary endpoint was disability at 90-day follow-up as assessed by the modified Rankin scale (mRS). Secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage. A Bayesian mixed-effects model was used for analysis. Results: Twelve (12) trials met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 1,276 patients randomised to thrombectomy and 1,282 patients to control. Randomisation to thrombectomy significantly reduced disability at 90 days (OR 0.52, 95% credible interval 0.46 to 0.61, probability(control better)2 (OR 0.44, CrI 0.37 to 0.52, pr