Sickness absence and disability pension in patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy.

Background: Stroke patients with large vessel occlusions risk long-term or permanent sickness absence. We aimed to analyze the proportions and days of sickness absence and disability pension in thrombectomy-treated patients.

Methods: A register-based nationwide longitudinal cohort study of stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy in 2016-2021 in Sweden (identified through the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare procedural code for care interventions, KVÅ:AAL15). All thrombectomy-treated patients aged 18-63 were followed one year prior and one after stroke. Proportions (%) and number of net days of sickness absence and disability pension were calculated. Predictors for absence were calculated through multinomial regression analysis.

Results: We included 672 patients, mean age was 53 years and 66 % were men. The proportion of patients on sickness absence decreased from 70.4 % at 30 days to 63.2 % at 90 days after stroke onset. Proportions of sickness absence and disability pension did not differ between women and men after treatment. Amongst predictors for having full-time absence at 90 days were: OR (95 % CI) being born in Europe (excl. Nordic countries) 2.17 (1.15-4.11), being single 1.59 (1.12-2.26), elementary education 2.08 (1.21-3.57), and living in a town or suburb 1.47 (1.01-2.14). Patients with no income 0.21 (0.13-0.35) or the lowest income level 0.36 (0.22-0.58) had low odds for full-time sickness absence and disability pension at 90 days.

Conclusions: One third of thrombectomy-treated patients had no sickness absence nor disability pension at day 30 after stroke, and the proportion of patients without absence increased during follow-up. Absence proportions and predictors for full-time absence were centered around income level, educational level, birth country, and type of living area. Notably, there were no sex differences.