New Stroke Treatment Can Change Lives

A new catheter technique that can better remove a blood clot in the brain as a result of a severe stroke could leave patients with a higher quality of life after its use, a New York vascular neurologist says.

For almost 20 years, treatment for strokes has included clot busting drugs that have been delivered intravenously. This new technique, which would involve a catheter inserted through the groin, can remove the clot much more quickly, says Richard Libman, MD, chief of vascular neurology at the Cushing Neuroscience Institute, which is part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

“The use of the catheter treatment can mean the difference between a patient being highly functional, independent and able to take care of themselves without assistance after the stroke versus not being able to be independent,” Dr. Libman says. “That’s a big difference.”

This treatment is effective for severe strokes, which the previous method was not as effective at treating.