SSM Neurosciences Institutes stroke centers offer the most advanced treatments for stroke. When every second counts, our experienced team of neurologists, neuro-interventionists, neurosurgeons, stroke nurse practitioners, stroke coordinators, ER physicians, radiologists, dedicated nurses and clinicians work together to deliver life-saving treatment.
Before starting treatment, your doctor will use a computed tomography (CT) scan of your head and possibly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose the type of stroke youve had and to assess the amount of brain damage. Initial treatment focuses on restoring blood flow for an ischemic stroke or controlling bleeding for a hemorrhagic stroke.
The window of opportunity to prevent significant loss of ability from stroke is several hours. But thanks to medical advances, that window is opening wider than ever. In fact, it is now possible to reverse a stroke with state-of-the-art equipment at the SSM Neurosciences Institute.
Treatment may include clot-busting medication or other interventions. The American Stroke Association has issued guidelines saying that patients can benefit from the clot-busting drug, tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), or thrombolytic drugs up to 4.5 hours after stroke symptoms begin. The guidelines apply to most patients with ischemic stroke (more than 750,000 Americans suffer from strokes each year, and 80 percent are ischemic strokes). All of our SSM Neurosciences Institute locations have the ability to administer tPA.
Unfortunately, for patients who do not come in within the recommended time window, tPA therapy injected through an IV traditionally has not been effective at opening up a clogged blood vessel.
SSM DePaul Health Center and SSM St. Clare Health Center offer neuro-interventional treatments for stroke, including biplane angiography suites that offer patients a larger window of time for life-saving treatment up to 12 hours. If you present at another SSM hospital, you will be evaluated for this treatment and immediately transferred if you qualify.
SSM neuro-interventionists are able to perform intra-arterial tPA administration in which a small micro-catheter is inserted through the artery to the clot. Using this procedure, the physician can inject clot-dissolving medicine directly at the site.
For patients who are ineligible for tPA or who fail to respond, specialists at SSM may be able to physically remove the clot lodged in a brain or neck artery. Enhanced imaging can be used to guide a tiny corkscrew-shaped device inside a catheter through the blood vessel to the blockage, where it can grab and remove the clot.
These and other advances have been made possible through use of biplane angiography.
A ruptured vessel usually results from an aneurysm, a ballooning of a weakened section of a vessel, or from an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a cluster of abnormally formed blood vessels.
There are two types of hemorrhagic strokes: intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the area between the brain and tissues that cover the brain).
Hemorrhagic stroke is most often associated with high blood pressure (hypertension), which stresses the artery walls until they break. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke and should be managed with medication and lifestyle changes.
Hemorrhagic stroke treatment Aneurysm clipping. If the hemorrhagic stroke is due to a ruptured brain aneurysm, a neurosurgeon can place a tiny metal clamp at the base of the aneurysm to stop the bleeding. This procedure requires an open brain surgery called a craniotomy. Non-surgical coiling is another treatment option available through SSM Neurosciences Institute.
SSM Rehabilitation Hospital offers specialized rehabilitation and medical care for stroke patients through the Center for Neurological Recovery. Learn more.
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Stroke Treatment | SSM Neurosciences