Acute ischemic stroke has a high incidence rate and a high disability rate, and early recovery of blood flow can improve patients’ prognosis. Mechanical thrombectomy has attracted significant attention due to its relatively wide time window and high revascularization rate. Mechanical thrombectomy has been advancing in its medical devices such as MERCI Retriever, Solitaire FR stent, Revive SE Thrombectomy Device, 3-Dimensional Stent Retriever, and Penumbra System, with gradually increasing success rate of thrombectomy and rate of favorable outcomes (modified Rankin Scale <2) at 90 days. Research on the rescue measures for thrombectomy failure was performed. There were study reports on successful application of thrombectomy for treatment of stroke in special populations such as patients with wake-up stroke, children, and pregnant women. In conclusion, mechanical thrombectomy can effectively revascularize acutely occluded main cerebral arteries, timely recover the blood supply for the acute ischemic brain tissue, and improve the prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke. With the continuous advancement in the medical devices and technologies used in thrombectomy, the therapeutic effect is becoming increasingly better.