Minimally Invasive Procedures

Interventional Stroke treatment

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Once a stroke occurs time is of the essence, as brain cells begin to die by 2 minutes. Until recently, treatment was only available to those who presented to the emergency room within 3 hours of stroke onset. Unfortunately, only about 10% of patients will make it the E.R. in time for this treatment. Today, Los Angeles Brain and Spine Institute physicians can extend the life saving window of treatment by up to 8 hours by delivering clot busting medications directly to the brain or by using a special device to remove blood clot from within the tiny arteries of the brain.

The MERCI thrombectomy device was the first FDA approved device for the removal of stroke causing clot from brain arteries. The MERCI device resembles a tiny corkscrew and is inserted into the clogged artery via a tiny catheter that runs from a groin artery to the brain. The physician then grabs the clot with this corkscrew, pulling it through the catheter and out of the body.

A recently developed procedure for removing stroke causing clots from the brain arteries is the Penumbra clot aspiration procedure. The penumbra device is a small catheter that is navigated from the groin to the site of the artery occlusion. Once there, the catheter is connected to a special vacuum device and the brain clot is literally sucked out.