New research provides new hope for the thousands upon thousands of Americans who suffer strokes every year.
The addition of intra-arterial treatment could significantly improve stroke outcomes when compared the pharmaceutical treatment alone, the Swedish Medical Center reported. The finding is considered the most ground-breaking in its field in two decades.
Stroke is the number one cause of disability in the U.S. and costs healthcare about $74 billion in expenditures for disability every year.
Ischemic strokes are most often caused by a blood clot or embolism that prevents blood from flowing to the brain. The study looked at a treatment called a thrombectomy, which is introduced to remove blood clots from vessels in the head. This method proved to be extremely beneficial to stroke patients who were receiving standard treatments for the condition and even those who were not. Quicker clot removal via a thrombectomy is believed to help restore blood flow earlier on and minimize neurological impairment.
"We've got to remember that the key to effective treatment is getting it quickly," said Donald Frei, MD, and the expert stroke team at Swedish Medical Center's Radiology Imaging Associates. "That's because during a stroke, more than 30,000 brain cells die per second."
The Swedish Medical Center works to provide state-of-the-art care for stroke victims.
"We are very focused on our partnerships with physicians to constantly improve patient safety and outcomes, and we are proud of our advancement in stroke care," said Mary M. White, President & CEO Swedish Medical Center. "This is one example of how we as a team continue to be a leader in clinical care improvements and as a neuroscience hospital in the region, and the nation."
"We view this study outcome to be the most promising news in years, and this therapy is now our first line of defense when treating stroke patients," Frei concluded.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
