Abstract
Abstract only Background: Endovascular therapy (EVT) has been reported to be safe and effective for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with tandem lesions (TLs). However, the optimal anesthetic management during EVT for TL patients is unknown. We aimed to assess the impact of anesthesia modality on clinical outcomes in AIS patients with TLs. Methods: Patient level data were pooled from 16 centers for anterior circulation TLs from 2015-2020. Patients were divided into general anesthesia (GA) and procedural sedation (PS). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of outcomes including modified Rankin Score (mRS) 0-2, ordinal shift is mRS, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), successful reperfusion (mTICI score ≥2b), excellent reperfusion (mTICI 3), first pass effect (FPE), early neurological recovery (ENI), door to skin puncture and reperfusion, and 90-day mortality. Results: Among 691 patients, 595 (GA:230 [38.7%] and PS:365 [61.3%]) were included in the final analysis. Patients treated with GA had lower odds of mRS 0-2 (36.6% vs. 52.5%, aOR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.38-0.84, p =0.005) and favorable shift in 90 days mRS (aOR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.51-0.99, p =0.041) when compared to PS. No differences were noted for sICH (3.9% vs. 4.7%, aOR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.26-1.66, p =0.38), successful reperfusion (89.1% vs 86.5%, aOR: 1.59, CI: 0.87-2.89, p=0.13), excellent reperfusion (48.5% vs 50.3%, aOR: 0.85, CI: 0.56-1.30, p=0.462), FPE (53.6% vs 63.4%, aOR: 0.67, CI 0.45-1.0, p=0.05), ENI (38.9% vs 38.8%, aOR: 0.70, CI: 0.44-1.12, p=0.138), mortality at 90 days (20.3% vs 16.3%, aOR: 0.74, CI: 0.29-1.87, p=0.525), door to skin puncture (80 [46-117.5] mins vs 54 [21-100], p=0.607) and skin puncture to reperfusion (59 [39.5-85.5] mins vs 54 [38-81], p=0.836). Conclusions: In patients with AIS with TLs treated with EVT, GA was associated with lower odds of functional independence without a significant increased risk of sICH, mortality, or treatment delays.