University of Calgary professor Mayank Goyal adjusts a display illustrating the new technique for treating severe stroke.
Photo Credit: Riley Brandt/University of Calgary

‘A substantial breakthrough’ in stroke treatment

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This stent is fed through a catheter to capture a blood clot in the brain, collapsed and then both are removed. © AP Photo/Covidien, Stan Sholik

A new way to treat severe strokes has resulted in such good outcomes that scientists think it will soon be widely implemented in Canada and the world. Research led by scientists at Canada’s University of Calgary show that using a stent to physically remove blood clots in the brain is more effective than the current strategy of using drugs to dissolve them.

With the new technique, a catheter is fed into an artery in the groin and progressively smaller tubes are guided into the brain to the clot. The stent, like a mesh captures the clot, collapses and is pulled back out.  The procedure is effective for very large clots which are not well dissolved with drugs.

“It’s a substantial breakthough,” says Dr. Andrew Demchuk, director of the Calgary Stroke Program at the Foothills Medical Centre, noting that with this procedure, positive outcomes for patients increased from 30 per cent to 55 per cent.

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Dr. Andrew Demchuk says the new stroke treatment is so effective it should be adopted in Canada soon, and eventually throughout the world.

Reducing damage

“This is a big step because now we have, for the most severe stroke population, something that we can do to reduce the damage and give that patient and that family the potential of a good recovery and a good quality of life despite the stroke,” says Demchuk.

It will take some time before this new treatment is rolled out. Medical staff must be trained and resources allocated. Demchuk is hopeful this will happen soon since the method will reduce hospital stays and be cost-effective. Researchers think Canada will be among the first countries to implement the procedure, but are sure it will eventually come into use around the world.

The study was funded by The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions and Medtronic and other donations. It was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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