Stroke: Every Minute Counts!

Stroke is the number one cause of long-term disability and fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. every year. It is important to know the signs of stroke and call 911 immediately if you or someone else is having a stroke, because “time is brain,” meaning more brain cells are lost every minute after a stroke. Once a stroke patient arrives at the hospital, a multidisciplinary medical team is ready to examine them and begin treatments that can prevent cognitive and physical deficiencies or save their life. Stroke treatments include administering a clot-busting drug or endoscopic procedures to restore blood flow to the brain.

Washington Health neurosurgeon Daniel Raper, MD, will present an online seminar, “Endovascular Treatments for Stroke,” at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The seminar will be available to stream at that time on Facebook.com/WashingtonHealth1 or YouTube.com/@Washington_Health, and at your convenience beginning the following day.

Dr. Raper is an assistant professor with the UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery and Washington Health neurosurgeon with subspecialty skills in cerebrovascular surgery, endovascular neurosurgery, and neurosurgical innovation and research. He is an advocate for incorporating minimally invasive procedures and techniques to improve safety and efficacy of complex cerebrovascular procedures.

“When stroke patients arrive in the Emergency Department, there is an algorithm we go through when deciding what the right treatments are for them,” said Dr. Raper. “The first step of that process is determining whether they are a candidate for thrombolytic therapy, which means receiving a clot-busting medicine like tPA; and, if they meet the criteria for a thrombectomy, which is an endovascular or minimally invasive procedure to open the blocked blood vessel in the brain. We move along parallel pathways to get patients the fastest and best treatments possible.”

A thrombectomy is a procedure that includes removing a blood clot (thrombus) from the brain that is causing a stroke. This entails the neurosurgeon inserting a catheter into a blood vessel via a small cut in the leg and guiding it to the blocked artery in the brain where the clot is located. The clot is then removed with a mechanical stent or suction device, restoring blood flow to that part of the brain.

“Thrombectomy is an extremely effective overall therapy, with successful clot removal in 80% to 85% of the cases,” explained Dr. Raper. Up to around 50% of patients improve to functional independence at three months after a thrombectomy procedure.

Thrombectomy greatly reduces the risk of permanent disability or death from a stroke and can be performed up to 24 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms, although sooner is better. Recovery after an endovascular intervention is fast and easy, and reduces the chance of needing an invasive surgery such as open brain surgery where a portion of the skull is removed. Depending on the severity and location of the blockage as well as time elapsed since onset of symptoms, patients with a good outcome can generally be discharged within a few days of the procedure to begin the rehabilitation process.

“At Washington Health, we always do everything we can to bring the best, most effective and safest techniques to improve outcomes for our patients,” Dr. Raper emphasized. “That’s why providing thrombectomy procedures as a key part of our Stroke Program is crucial.”

During his upcoming presentation, Dr. Raper will delve further into what makes stroke patients a candidate for thrombectomy, what percentage of patients receive a thrombectomy, and how soon after the procedure it becomes clear how much of their original cognitive and physical abilities patients will have.

To learn more about the Washington Health Stroke Program, visit WashingtonHealth.com/Stroke