Know where to go if stroke strikes: Penumbra, Inc. launches QuEST2StopStroke.com
Features First Online “Advanced Stroke Center” Locator to Find Hospitals Offering Lifesaving Inside-the-Artery Clot Removal
Alameda, CA – July 17, 2012 –Penumbra, Inc., announces the launch of an educational website www.QuEST2StopStroke.com, designed to empower the public with the knowledge they need to help stop stroke. The website asks visitors to “Join the Quest” and learn where to find their closest advanced stroke center that offers lifesaving inside-the-artery clot removal. The website also provides educational information about ischemic stroke and common treatment methods, as well as testimonials from patients whose lives were saved by the Penumbra System®, an innovative clot-removal technology that uses suction and acts as a tiny “vacuum cleaner” to remove blood clots from the brain.
Ischemic stroke, caused by a blood clot in the brain, accounts for approximately 87 percent of all strokes, and is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. The standard protocol in hospital stroke centers is the administering of a clot-busting medication called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), but it must be given within 3 hours after symptoms begin to be effective. Even though tPA drug therapy can be very successful, many stroke victims do not make it to their local stroke center in time, and even if they do tPA does not always work if the clot is too large or difficult to dissolve. Many times, patients must then be transported by helicopter or ambulance to an advanced stroke center where they can receive inside-the-artery clot removal to save their lives.
“Many people don’t realize that stroke can be treated very successfully if you get to the right hospital in time,” said Don Frei, MD, Neurointerventional Surgeon, Swedish Medical Center, Englewood, Colorado. “More advanced hospital stroke centers now offer newer inside-the-artery treatment options that allow physicians to physically remove the clot from the patient’s brain. QuEST2StopStroke.com is an extremely important resource that should be visited before there is an emergency, so people are prepared to know where to go if a stroke does occur.”
Inside-the-artery clot removal, available at nearly 500 advanced stroke centers throughout the U.S., is a minimally invasive procedure that allows physicians to remove blood clots and restore blood flow to the brain as long as eight hours after symptom onset or after tPA has failed.
Arani Bose, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Penumbra said, “Quick intervention is critical in acute stroke patients to save brain cells and reduce the risk of long-term disability, or even death. Advancements in interventional devices, such as with the Penumbra aspiration technology, has significantly improved the safety and efficacy of large vessel clot removal procedures, and it truly can be lifesaving when used in combination with or as an alternative to standard drug therapy in the appropriate patients. We believe this new website is an important contribution to the stroke treatment community. It will offer easy access to information to help more stroke victims get to the closest advanced stroke center where they can receive the best care available, as fast as possible.”
Penumbra aspiration technology enables complete clot removal and optimizes safety as the clot is removed from the body. It has shown to effectively restore blood flow after stroke in 87% of patients, with nearly one-half (48%) of all patients able to walk away from their stroke experience with minimal if any neurological impairments, regardless of the initial severity of their condition. The new MAX System by Penumbra, launched in 2012, further simplifies the aspiration procedure to allow for quicker clot removal with the potential to decrease procedure time and restore blood flow faster than alternative technologies.
In the event of a stroke emergency, immediately call 911. For more information about inside-the-artery clot removal and to find an advanced stroke center in your area that offers comprehensive options to treat stroke, visit www.QuEST2StopStroke.com.
ABOUT Penumbra, Inc.
Penumbra, Inc. is a global interventional therapies company committed to delivering clinically beneficial products that help patients suffering from stroke and other vascular diseases. Penumbra’s global headquarters is located in Alameda, California with sales operations in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
CONTACT:
Penumbra Media Relations:
Rachael Kopeck
510-748-3200
[email protected]
The Ruth Group
Kimberly Muscara
646-536-7011
[email protected]