New treatment could be a gamechanger for stroke victims

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Doctors say a device used to pull damaging blood clots out of the brains of stroke patients could be revolutionary.

The most common type of stroke occurs when a clot blocks an artery leading to the brain, killing off millions of brain cells every minute blood can't get through.

Those patients are often treated with a drug that helps dissolve the clot.

In some cases however a stent retriever can also be used. It's threaded through blood vessels into the brain, grabs the clot and pulls it out of the body.

In a new study of about 200 patients, doctors in Canada say 91 percent of those who were able to get the stent retriever within two and a half hours had minimal or no disability.

Each additional hour a patient waited increased the likelihood they'd be left with some kind of brain damage.

Only select hospitals in the United States are equipped to use the stent retriever; usually those that are designated "comprehensive cancer centers."

"Not every hospital that is certified to treat strokes with clot busters will have a 24 hours a day coverage for this kind of procedural need, and so there will be a need to expand the workforce," said Dr. Sahil Parikh from the UH Case Medical Center in Cleveland.

Quick treatment for strokes is crucial.

Doctors say it's important to call 911 as soon as stroke symptoms appear, such as facial drooping, arm weakness, and difficulty speaking.

Find comprehensive stroke centers in your area here.