Guide To Ischemic Stroke Treatment And Recovery

Surgery To Remove Clot

A patient who has a stroke caused by a substance that cannot be dissolved or is resistant to the use of medication may need to undergo surgery to remove the stroke-causing clot or embolus. This treatment is typically needed in cases when the patient arrives at the hospital over three hours following the onset of their symptoms. Two different surgery types can be used on ischemic stroke patients. A mechanical embolectomy is a procedure where the surgeon uses a microcatheter through the groin to reach the artery in the patient's brain that has become blocked. A small tool is threaded through the microcatheter to the site of the clot that either breaks it up and sucks it out or removes it as a whole. The surgeon uses x-ray guidance to accurately reach the blocked vessel in the patient's brain. Another method used on ischemic stroke patients is called cerebral revascularization, and it works by connecting a graft or artificial vessel to the carotid artery at a point before and after the blockage to create a bypass route for the patient's blood supply.

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