Andrea Janus, CTVNews.ca Published Wednesday, February 11, 2015 12:12PM EST Last Updated Wednesday, February 11, 2015 3:36PM EST An international study led by Canadian researchers has confirmed the safety and efficacy of one of the most significant new treatments in decades, one that could dramatically improve outcomes for the 15 million people who suffer a stroke each year. The clot retrieval procedure, known as endovascular treatment (ET), dramatically reduces disability and deaths in patients who have suffered an acute ischemic stroke. Such strokes are caused by a sudden blockage in an artery that deprives the brain of oxygen and glucose, and can lead to debilitating brain injuries. The treatment reduced the mortality rate among study participants by 50 per cent, the study showed. The mortality rate among stroke patients who receive the standard treatment of care is two in 10. The mortality rate among patients who receive ET is one in 10. Fifty-five per cent of the patients who received ET in the study went home without having suffered significant disability, co-principal investigator Dr. Mayank Goyal, professor of radiology and clinical neurosciences at the Cumming School of Medicine, told CTV News. That compares to patients who did not receive ET … Continue reading →

ABILENE, Texas - Hendrick Medical Center is offering a new stroke treatment therapy program that will allow patients to have faster and potentially better outcomes if suffering from a stroke. The new therapy allows Hendrick to treat stroke patients with large vessel strokes. Before this, a patient would have to be treated in big city hospitals for this particular type of stroke. "Currently this is the only facility in the Big Country that offers the type of stroke therapy, said Dr. Christopher Eddleman, a neurosurgeon at Hendrick Medical Center. It is a type of endovascular treatment. Endovascular treatment is the most effective way to treat stroke, Eddleman said. Actually pulling out the large clot can often form inside the blood vessel, so this is just a technique that Ive been doing for several years. What is the biggest advantage to this new treatment? The big thing with these types of strokes is that there is a limited time during which one could be treated, Eddleman said. If someone comes in and they are close to the end of their time, having this technique available will obviously help them. Hendrick Medical Center became an accredited Primary Stroke Center in 2012. Read … Continue reading →

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute has approved $14 million to support the first statewide study of comprehensive post-stroke treatment. Pamela W. Duncan, professor of neurology and senior policy advisor for innovations and transitional outcomes for Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, is the studys principal investigator. The co-investigators are Dr. Cheryl D. Bushnell, director of the Wake Forest Baptist Stroke Center, and Wayne D. Rosamond, professor of epidemiology for Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill. An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety. Best Value Get home delivery of the newspaper every day. Plus receive digital access, which includesunlimited use of JournalNow.com on web and mobile web as well as our electronic replica edition. Get home delivery of the newspaper Monday - Saturday. Plus receive digital access, which includesunlimited use of JournalNow.com on web and mobile web as well as our electronic replica edition. Get home delivery of the newspaper Saturday - Monday. Plus receive digital access, which includesunlimited use of JournalNow.com on web and mobile web as well as our electronic replica edition. Get home delivery of the Sunday newspaper. … Continue reading →

Published: Sunday, 3/8/2015 - Updated: 5 hours ago BY MARLENE HARRIS-TAYLOR BLADE STAFF WRITER A breakthrough treatment has several Toledo physicians predicting the stroke death rate will tumble for patients who suffer the most severe and disabling cases. A newly tested stent-like medical device gives physicians the ability to perform a minimally invasive procedure called endovascular thrombectomy that local and national experts agree will not only improve survival rates, but will also lower the risk of lasting disabilities in stroke patients. It will fundamentally change treatment of patients experiencing ischemic stroke, said Dr. Mouhammad Jumaa, director of the Stroke Center at the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio. An ischemic stroke is the most common form caused by the blockage of blood flow to the brain. During the procedure, physicians enter the Solitaire Stent in the patients body near the groin, then, while monitoring on a computer, move the stent through the major arteries to the brain where most stroke-related blood clots are located. The clot is then grabbed and physically pulled out of the body, said Dr. Jumaa, who is also the medical director of ProMedicas Stroke Network. When the blood clot is removed, … Continue reading →

By Traci Pedersen Associate News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on February 16, 2015 ~ 2 min read Over half of all parents whose children have suffered from a stroke show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to research presented at the American Stroke Associations International Stroke Conference 2015. Researchers also found that about one-fourth of children who have experienced a stroke show signs of clinical anxiety. Both parental PTSD and child anxiety are two factors that could interfere with treatment and outcomes. Stroke is one of the top causes of death for children in America, estimated to affect about 3,000 children and young adults every year, according to the American Stroke Association. Between 20 to 40 percent of children die after a stroke with the risk being greatest during the first year of life. Sickle cell disease and congenital heart disease are two common risk factors for pediatric stroke; boys are also at a higher risk than girls, and African Americans are at a higher risk than Caucasian or Asian children. We were prompted to look at this issue based on our own clinical experiences here at Boston Childrens Hospital, said Laura Lehman, M.D., lead researcher … Continue reading →