Impact of a continuous multidisciplinary rehabilitation pathway on clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke after mechanical thrombectomy
Authors:
Bingmeng Chen, Chenyi Zhou, Qinqye Jin
Background/Aim. Acute ischemic stroke remains a major cause of long-term disability, and optimal rehabilitation following mechanical thrombectomy is still being researched. The aim of this prospective randomized controlled study was to evaluate whether the continuous multidisciplinary rehabilitation (CMR) program, initiated within 24–72 hrs after mechanical thrombectomy and maintained for 3 months, was associated with improved neurological and functional outcomes. Methods. A total of 100 patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent mechanical thrombectomy between October 2021 and October 2024 were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to either the CMR group or the control group (CG) (50 patients each). Patients in CG received routine post-procedural medical treatment and nursing care, whereas the patients in the CMR group received a structured multidisciplinary rehabilitation program in addition to routine care. The primary outcome was the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Barthel Index (BI), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Motor Assessment Scale (MAS), patient satisfaction, complication incidence, and favorable prognosis. Longitudinal changes were analyzed using mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance – ANOVA. Results. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between groups (all p > 0.05). Compared with CG, the CMR group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in MoCA, MAS, FMA, BI, and NIHSS scores at 1 and 3 months post-intervention (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, the CMR group demonstrated a significantly higher patient satisfaction rate and favorable prognosis rate, as well as a lower incidence of complications (p < 0.05). Conclusion. A CMR program initiated within 24–72 hrs after mechanical thrombectomy and maintained for 3 months was associated with improved short-term neurological, cognitive, motor, and functional recovery. The observed benefits should be interpreted as the cumulative effects of sustained rehabilitation rather than early initiation alone.