SNF Brain Stroke Samachar-453
SN Foundation
Doctor offers more options for stroke patients
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Courtesy: www.thespectrum.com, Sep. 1, 2013
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Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults in the United States and the third-leading cause of death.
There is no doubt that when it comes to strokes, time is brain. The sooner treatment begins, the better for the patient because fewer brain cells are lost and the more likely it is the patient will survive with minimal damage. In fact, clot-busting drugs used to treat stroke must be administered via IV within three hours of the onset of stroke in most patients in order to be effective.
But a new treatment may extend that time window, offering hope to patients who either don’t qualify for or don’t respond to traditional clot-busting therapies.
Using a specialized CT scan sequence called perfusion CT, doctors can visualize the brain, see where the vessel has become blocked and determine if something can be done to help the patient. With the CT perfusion images, they can determine which parts of the brain are still alive, which parts are no longer alive because of the stroke and which cells are at risk of dying if the clot is not removed.
If deemed necessary, the physician can either use a catheter and specialized devices to remove the clot through a procedure called a mechanical thrombectomy or he can administer the clot-busting medication directly to the site of the clot (instead of through the IV), potentially saving brain.
That kind of procedure not only requires some sophisticated equipment, it also requires a highly trained physician. In fact, there are only a handful of neurosurgeons in the nation who perform catheter-based stroke care.
Dr. Benjamin Fox is one of them. Fox recently joined Dr. Chad Cole, the other local neurosurgeon at Dixie Regional’s Southern Utah Neurosciences Institute. Together, they form the only neurosurgery practice between Las Vegas and the Wasatch Front.
The arrival of Fox extends the brain and spine services available at Dixie Regional by offering comprehensive stroke interventions. His arrival also fills a critical need as the hospital continues on its journey toward becoming a level II trauma center.