Endovascular thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion stroke in patients with pre-existing disability

Approximately one in three patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) suffer from a premorbid disability prior to their incident AIS. These patients have largely been excluded from clinical trials of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for the treatment of AIS and current literature remains unclear regarding the safety and efficacy of EVT in these patients.

We queried our prospectively maintained registry of patients with AIS from December 1, 2014 to October 31, 2023 to identify all patients who underwent EVT. Patients were stratified by their baseline modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score into those with (mRS 2-5) and without (mRS 0-1) baseline disability. Univariate analyses using the χ² test for categorical variables and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables were performed to compare demographics between the two groups. Generalized logistic and linear regression models for multivariable analysis were used to compare outcomes between the groups.

Of a total of 1489 patients, 367 (24.6%) had a pre-existing disability. Patients with baseline disability were older (79.6 years vs 67.7 years, P<0.001), more likely to be female (65.7% vs 45.9%, P<0.001), and had higher rates of stroke risk factors. There were higher odds of return to baseline (90-day ΔmRS =<0: OR 2.83, P<0.001) and 90-day ΔmRS =<1 (OR 2.94, P<0.001) for patients with baseline disability post-EVT compared with their healthier counterparts. There was no relative adjusted increase in symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage or 90-day mortality.

EVT appears to be safe and effective in patients with baseline disability, often associated with a return to their premorbid functional status at 90 days.