The study is an updated meta-analysis of 31 observational studies that included a total of 93,297 patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by occlusion of the great cerebral artery.[1] It compared bridging therapy (intravenous thrombolysis before mechanical thrombectomy) with direct mechanical thrombectomy without prior thrombolysis.[1] Bridging therapy was associated with a higher likelihood of excellent recovery at 90 days (mRS 0–1; OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.30–1.77) and favorable recovery (mRS 0–2; OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.29–1.61) compared with direct thrombectomy.[1] At the same time, it achieved a higher rate of successful reperfusion (TICI 2b/3; OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.09–1.39).[1] Bridging therapy was also associated with lower 90-day mortality (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.52–0.71).[1] No significant difference in the incidence of symptomatic cerebral hemorrhage was found between the groups.[1] Sensitivity analyzes and assessment of publication bias confirmed the robustness of these results, and meta-regression showed that differences in baseline ASPECTS scores, NIHSS, and treatment time intervals significantly influenced outcomes.[1]