Posted on 08/01/2022 9:12:07 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Research shows that thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure typically reserved for treating a severe type of stroke known as large vessel occlusions (LVO), achieves positive outcomes for individuals experiencing other types of strokes. Expanding eligibility for this lifesaving treatment will give more patients a better opportunity for a successful recovery and rehabilitation after stroke.
Researchers analyzed outcomes in nearly 7,500 patients undergoing thrombectomy for different types of stroke. They found that clinical outcomes for distal vessel occlusions (DVO) are comparable to those experiencing LVO. DVOs are clots located in small arteries higher up in the brain and are not typically treated using thrombectomy.
"Thrombectomy has changed the way medical professionals care for patients with stroke," said Ali Alawieh, MD, Ph.D. "If more patients can experience this treatment, we want to ensure that happens."
In the second study, nearly 4,000 patients experiencing an acute basilar artery occlusion—which occurs when the basilar artery is blocked—were treated with thrombectomy. This artery is the main artery at the back portion of the brain. It carries oxygen to the blood in the brainstem, cerebellum and occipital lobes. There has been little research about the effectiveness of thrombectomy when it comes to this type of stroke, but the results showed patients who underwent this procedure achieved more favorable outcomes.
"Patients who receive a thrombectomy increase their life expectancy by five years compared to patients who do not. For every 10 minutes saved in getting a thrombectomy, patients experience an additional month of life free from disability. Furthermore, basilar artery occlusion stroke is associated with 40% mortality and of the survivors, 80% have severe deficits," said Fawaz Al-Mufti, MD. "This is especially true for basilar artery occlusion stroke patients with high NIHSS, where endovascular thrombectomy portends a mortality and disability benefit."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Yes, you want the surgery.
I just ask, because I have lost so much respect for most in the profession nowadays.
It is both. Specifically, I try to reference the latest study writeups, because doctors do not read all of them—none can. Being a potential patient, and having a spouse, relatives, and friends with health concerns, I believe it is important to know better alternatives to what ails us.
In essence, you can, with informed knowledge, know what is better for you than your doctor, who is likely still working from what they learned 30 years ago in school. It works well enough for them on a daily basis, but it is likely far from optimal, with what is known as of this month.
It is not any doctor's concern to be up to the minute on your health issues and how to best address them. It is only your responsibility. The doctor does a “best effort,” and most are completely happy with that.
I was curious about RD’s other question...
“Were you in the medical field at one point in time, or still currently involved”
good news for fetterman
I used to read studies in the libraries of the universities I attended. Prior to getting access to actual published journals, I read what I could get from Prevention, The Bottom Line, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, various women's magazines you still see in line at Walmart, newspapers, etc. and listened to doctors on radio and TV, including Dr. Dean Edell and others.
Favorite shows of mine as a child included Emergency! and Quincy, among others.
Thanks for the clarification.
No it’s not, at least regarding the stroke he already had. Catheter based thrombectomy techniques have to be done with hours of the stroke to have any positive effect. After that, brain tissue is irreversibly dead. That fact limits this procedures applicability since many patients present too late. Additionally, there are relatively few doctors that perform this procedure, mainly at large academic medical centers
Fair enough. So, I assume you yourself have never been involved in the medical profession. 🙂
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