Abstract： Objective To evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy on elderly patients (≥ 80 years old) with acute ischemic stroke. Methods The clinical data of 86 patients with acute ischemic stroke, received intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy, were retrospectively analyzed; according to age differences, these patients were divided into advanced age group (≥80 years old, n=21) and common age group (<80 years old, n=65); and control group (≥80 years old, not receiving thrombolytic therapy, n=50) was established. The recanalization rate and early clinical improvement rate, and the incidence, recover rate and death rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage were evaluated in these patients after treatment. Results No significant differences in the favorite recanalization rate and short-term outcome, and the incidence of symptom intracranial hemorrhage were noted between the advanced age group and common age group (P=0.528, P=0.102,P=0.353). The incidence of symptom intracranial hemorrhage in the advanced age group was obviously higher than that in the control group (P=0.034); the recover rate of symptom ntracranial hemorrhage in the advanced age group (42.9%) was obviously lower than that in the common age group (50.8%), but significantly higher than that in the control group (16%, P=0.042, P=0.017). The mortality of the advanced age group was similar to that of the control group (23.8% versus 28%, P=0.816), but higher than that of common age group (23.8% versus 10.8%, P=0.034). Conclusion Relatively high feasibility, safety and efficacy of intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy are noted in elderly patients (≥80 years old) with acute ischemic stroke, demonstrating that the use of intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy in very elderly patients should not be avoided but pursued advisably.