Procedure offers better outcomes for stroke patients

Experts are celebrating a major medical breakthrough in stroke care that lowered the risk of an individual becoming permanently disabled after a stroke during clinical trials.

The new procedure enables neuroendovascular surgeons to go into the area of the brain where the clot is blocking the artery and perform a thrombectomy, which uses a stent-like device to remove the blockage.

“This is a very exciting time in the field of neurology,” says Dr. Thomas Grobelny, neuroendovascular surgeon at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill. “This type of breakthrough, with this dramatic improvement of outcomes, is a once-in-a-lifetime leap forward.

At the latest International Stroke Conference in Nashville, research affirmed that endovascular thrombectomy is the new standard of care. Results of research proved so successful, that trials were ended early in order to make the procedure available to more patients.

“I’ve been doing this procedure for several years and have seen the results and effectiveness this procedure has on my patients,” Dr. Grobelny says. “Now, research supports that this is the best way to treat our patients.”

Stents used in these procedures are similar to the types of stents used to open clogged arteries in the heart. However, in the heart the stents are put in place to prop the artery open, but in the brain the stents serve as retrievers intended to remove the clot.

Once in place, the metal mesh stents clamp down on the clot so it can easily be removed, causing less damage to the blood vessels.

When someone is suffering from the signs and symptoms of a stroke, blood circulation is cut off to the brain, making time the most important factor in a successful recovery.