2026 Critical Care Congress Skip to main content
2026 Critical Care Congress Main banner
Final Program


Advance Program
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Session Icons
Thought Leader Session
Thought Leader Session
Guidelines Session
Guidelines Session
Aging Adult Track
Aging Adult Track
Additional Registration Fee
Additional Registration Fee

Research Snapshot Theater: Neuroscience, Adult II

Nationwide Analysis of Seizures Following Mechanical Thrombectomy for Stroke

Sunday, March 22, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Central Time
Location: Connections Central - RST 06
  • ZZ

    Zhitong Zheng, MD

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose.

  • BL

    Brooke Lajeunesse, MD

    Neuro ICU fellow
    University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • AV

    Alexander Villahermosa, MD

    Neuro ICU Fellow
    University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Antonio

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • TK

    Travis Kotzur, MD

    RPhysician Researcher
    University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Antonio

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • Ali Seifi, MD, FNCS, FCCM (he/him/his)

    The University of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, Texas

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose.

Introduction: Mechanical thrombectomy (MET) has been recommended by the AHA/ASA guidelines since 2015 for managing large vessel occlusion (LVO). While post-stroke seizures have been widely studied, limited research focuses on post-MER seizures, particularly in U.S. populations after 2015. This study investigates the prevalence and risk factors associated with post-MER seizures in the U.S. following the widespread adoption of MER in accordance with the 2015 guidelines.


Methods: This retrospective study utilized the National Inpatient Sample database to identify patients who underwent MER between 2016 and 2022. We analyzed risk factors, including demographic variables, comorbidities, and MET vascular territories, by comparing seizure and non-seizure groups using the Chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression.


Results: Among 632,485 post-MET patients, 12,610 (2.0%) developed seizures, with incidence rising from 1.6% in 2016 to 2.34% in 2022 (p < 0.001). Patients experiencing seizures had longer hospital stays (11.63 vs. 7.95 days, p< 0.001), higher rates of adverse discharge (49% vs. 29%, p< 0.001), and increased mortality (8.5% vs. 4.6%, p< 0.001). Identified risk factors included younger age, female gender, Black or Hispanic ethnicity, Medicare/Medicaid coverage, diabetes, and alcohol abuse. MET in both anterior (internal carotid artery: left OR 1.386, p=0.014; right OR 1.345, p=0.026) and posterior (vertebral artery: left OR 2.057, p=0.016; right OR 2.467, p=0.003) circulations significantly increased seizure risk. However, the middle cerebral arteries MET does not affect seizure onset as we expected (Right p=0.614; Left p=0.177).


Conclusions: This national study highlights an increasing trend in post-MET seizures over time. Certain demographic characteristics and comorbidities were identified as significant risk factors, emphasizing the need for close inpatient monitoring and structured outpatient follow-up to mitigate mortality and adverse outcomes in at-risk patients.