Characteristics and prognosis of acute basilar artery occlusion in minor to moderate stroke and severe stroke after endovascular treatment: A multicenter retrospective study

•BAO patients with minor to moderate stroke have better collateral circulation.•BAO patients with minor to moderate stroke have better outcomes after MT.•BAO Patients with minor to moderate stroke are suitable for undergoing MT. We aimed to investigate characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy (MT) between minor to moderate stroke and severe stroke caused by acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO). We retrospectively reviewed the data of all patients with BAO who underwent MT from three stroke centers between January 2016 and January 2020. The patients were dichotomized as minor to moderate or severe stroke group according to their admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score