Heart & Vascular Health
Akron General Medical Center offers new technology to prevent and treat stroke
Each year, about 700,000 Americans experience a stroke — the leading cause of disability and third leading cause of death in the US behind heart disease and cancer. But new life-saving treatments at medical centers specializing in stroke care, such as Akron General, are helping to save lives and minimize damage from stroke.
New
stenting for stroke prevention
An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel
in or leading to the brain is blocked by a blood
clot. This can impair brain function and cause
severe disability and even death. About 83 percent
of the 700,000 strokes that occur each year in
the US are ischemic.
Akron General Interventional Radiologists Richard Allen, MD, and Carl Martino, MD, are using a new system to prevent blockages of the carotid arteries in the neck, thus helping to prevent ischemic stroke in some patients. And Akron General is the only facility in the greater Akron-Canton area using this new technology.
“Our new carotid stent system and embolic protection system help us to open partially blocked arteries in the neck for some patients at risk for stroke while catching any plaque particles released into the blood stream during the procedure, which can cause stroke or other complications,” explains Dr. Allen.
During the procedure, Dr. Allen or Dr. Martino threads a catheter through the artery in the groin to the carotid artery in the neck. He then passes a wire with a tiny basket-shaped filter on the end through the catheter past the blocked area of the artery. Once in position, he opens the filter to catch any particle that may come free during the procedure. This is critical since, if left loose in the blood stream, these particles can cause stroke or other complications. After carefully positioning the stent within the narrow segment of the artery, he opens it to cover the plaque and press it against the wall of the artery. The stent then remains in place to hold open the artery while the other devices are removed.
While the use of stents in arteries of the heart is widely used, it is relatively new to use them in the carotid arteries of the neck.
“We work with our colleagues in Cardiovascular Surgery to help determine if this is an appropriate treatment for their patients at risk for stroke from these blockages,” says Dr. Allen. “For many patients, surgical intervention is appropriate, but for those patients at high risk for surgery, this may be the answer.”
He adds that there are certain risks and limitations to this procedure and they should be thoroughly discussed between the patient and his or her cardiovascular surgeon to determine the best course of treatment.
Uncorking the clog
A key weapon against ischemic stroke is the clot-dissolving drug tPA. This powerful drug can greatly increase a person’s chances for a full recovery from stroke, but must be given within a few hours from the onset of symptoms to be effective. Yet, even when given in time, clot-busting drugs don’t always work. And tPA can’t be used on everyone. The most direct way to open clogged arteries is to go inside and clear the blockage.
Dr. Allen and Dr. Martino are also using another unique new device to remove plaque in clogged arteries in some patients suffering from ischemic stroke. This corkscrew-shaped device hides inside a catheter that is maneuvered through the artery to the site of the blockage. It is then pushed out and corkscrewed through the clot to grab it and pull it clear to be removed.
“This unique new device was recently cleared by the FDA, and as the first device of its kind, it has shown promising results after a clinical study at 25 medical centers in the US,” says Dr. Allen. “And our applications here at Akron General support those promising results.”
For more information on stroke treatments, along with prevention and identifying symptoms, or other services from Akron General, visit us on line at www.akrongeneral.org.
