Mechanical Thrombectomy performed for Acute Ischemic Stroke saved the life of a 60-year-old patient.

About the Patient and condition

A 60-year-old male, known case of HTN, DM developed acute onset left hemiplegia. MRA brain showed evolving right MCA ischemic stroke with right Internal carotid artery occlusion.

Case Scenario

Patient received Intravenous thrombolysis in some other centre and was shifted to Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, for mechanical thrombectomy in view of large vessel occlusion and persistent hemiplegia. His NIHSS score was 16 and onset to groin puncture time was 5 hours.

Mechanical thrombectomy was done using stent retriever and multiple clots were removed from occluded right MCA.

CT brain after 24 hours showed no large infarct or bleed. Patient improved over time and power improved to 4/5 over next 4 weeks.

Worldwide Scenario

Acute stroke (also called brain attack) is a common neurological emergency. Ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of one’s brain is interrupted or reduced.

Timely restoration of cerebral blood flow using reperfusion therapy is required for salvaging ischemic brain tissue that is not already infarcted.

Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke is possible in a set-window of time (time from onset of symptoms to presentation to hospital). Intravenous thrombolysis can be done up to 4.5 hours since the onset of symptoms. Mechanical thrombectomy is indicated for patients with acute ischemic stroke due to a large artery occlusion and who can be treated within 24 hours of the time last known to be well.

Expertise at Apollo Hospitals

A team led by Dr. Vishal A Chafale, Consultant, Interventional Neurology at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai provided timely treatment to the patient and saved his life. In this procedure, our experts placed the catheter inside the blocked artery through the groin. A blocked artery can be opened with the help of stent retrieves or suction catheters. It is not an open surgery and can be done with local anaesthesia. Suitable patients can receive standard treatment if they happen to go to hospitals where thrombectomy is not an option, and can then be transferred to tertiary stroke centres where Mechanical Thrombectomy is available – a strategy called ‘drip and ship’.

Apollo Hospitals – Touching Lives

The department of Neurosurgery at Apollo Hospitals is highly equipped to treat diseases like stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, myopathies, Parkinson’s disease, to name a few. Even in most complex cases like this case, our doctors provided the best treatment to the patient based on their observation and experience.

Acute ischemic stroke is a treatable neurological emergency. Timely intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy improve clinical outcome dramatically. Treatment of stroke should not be delayed because ‘Time is Brain’.

Patient’s testimonial

The patient’s family was very happy and said that “Dr. Vishal A Chafale and his team were very caring and we would really like to thank Apollo Hospitals whole-heartedly.”