Original ArticleQuality of Life after Intra-arterial Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Few data exist about health-related quality of life outcomes after intra-arterial therapy (IAT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We assessed stroke-specific quality of life (SS-QOL) in survivors of stroke after IAT. Consecutive patients undergoing IAT for AIS from 2005 to 2010 were retrospectively identified via an institutional database. SS-QOL (using the SS-QOL score) and disability status (modified Rankin Scale [mRS]) were prospectively assessed via mailed questionnaire. We analyzed quality of life (QOL) scores by domain and summary score, with a summary score of 4 or more defined as a good outcome. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to model the effect of final recanalization status, stroke severity, and mRS on total QOL score. ANOVA and Pearson correlations were used to test the association between stroke severity/mRS and QOL/time since stroke, respectively. Of 99 patients with AIS, 61 responded, yielding 11 interim deaths, 7 incomplete surveys, and 43 complete surveys for analysis. Among responding survivors, overall QOL score was 3.9 (standard deviation 0.7); 77% of these reported good QOL. Scores were higher in recanalized patients in 11 of 12 domains but was significant only for mood. Although mRS was associated with stroke severity, QOL was independent of both. Seventy-seven percent of survivors of AIS who received IAT reported good QOL. Furthermore, these data suggest that SS-QOL is an independent outcome from stroke severity and disability status.