How Stroke Survivors Are Thriving with Advanced Care
Penumbra has been leading the evolution of stroke care for more than two decades. Back in the early 1990s, physicians relied on medical management to treat stroke patients. In the early 2000s, the idea of thrombectomy — the mechanical removal of the clot from inside the blood vessel — was introduced.
“When I first started there was really nothing going on in acute large vessel occlusion stroke treatment. We could drip TPA [a clot-busting medication] through a microcatheter. We had no mechanical devices available,” said Dr. Donald Frei, M.D., a neurointerventional surgeon at Radiology Imaging Associates. The evolution of stroke care over the last couple of decades led to a movement towards aspiration through mechanical thrombectomy. “Aspiration is extremely fast, very safe, and very effective,” said Dr. Frei. “We went from helping no one to two-thirds of our patients are independent, often within a few days.”
For Survive Stroke Week, we are celebrating stroke survivors who have benefited from thrombectomy.
North Carolina Stroke Survivor Gets Second Act
Chuck Carree, a former sportswriter in North Carolina, was shocked when he was suddenly unable to utter a word. “I remember looking at my wife, but I couldn’t speak,’ he said.
Chuck’s wife, Paige Owens, knew her husband was having a stroke. “Half of his face was drooping, and he couldn’t communicate,” said Paige, who immediately dialed 911.
The paramedics came quickly and within an hour after arriving at the hospital, the blood clot that caused Chuck’s stroke had been removed from his brain. Chuck’s speech returned almost immediately and, by Monday, he was released from the hospital with little to no disability.
Chuck Carree and Paige Owens
29-Year Old Mother Survives Stroke Due to Thrombectomy
What started as an ordinary day turned life-changing when Jess collapsed at work during a stroke. She had woken up with some neck pain, and thought it was a headache. She took some OTC medication and went about her day.
“I felt my lip and I couldn’t feel it and then my tongue went numb, and I thought, ‘I’ve never had that before with a migraine,’ and my eyes went a bit blurry as well,” Jess recalls. “I just remember having some sort of seizure on the floor. I couldn’t feel my right side and I actually thought, ‘am I having a stroke?’”
Dr. Souhyn Masri, consultant interventional neurologist at the Walton Centre in the UK, used innovative thrombectomy technology to remove the clot. “If I hadn’t had the procedure then the doctor said to me before that I might not even be here,” said Jess. She woke up after the clot was removed surrounded by her family. “I’m lucky, I’ve got two good boys,” she said.
A Stroke Was the Last Thing This Fitness Enthusiast Expected
“Pre-stroke, I was quite fit and healthy,” said Deborah, a civil servant and mother of two living in the UK. “I was preparing to run the half marathon and an ultra run.” One Saturday morning after a week of training, she had a stroke.
“I remember falling in a slow, slow motion to the left. Like my body just started dropping,” she recalls. Her son found her on the floor and called the ambulance. “The ambulance crew was there, my husband was there, and they were all talking about a stroke. I was like, ‘no, I haven’t had a stroke. I’m too young to have a stroke. I’m too fit to have a stroke.’”
Dr. Sanjeev Nayak, M.D., consultant interventional neuroradiologist at University Hospital of North Midlands, UK, performed a mechanical thrombectomy that saved Deborah’s life. “We performed the procedure using one of the newer devices. Procedure time itself was under five minutes because of these new advances,” says Dr. Nayak. “I feel very proud that the industry is working to come up with more and more innovations, which help with faster and quicker recanalization times,” which result in better outcomes and fewer complications, he said.
“Without that machinery and that mechanical thrombectomy taking place, I wouldn’t be here now,” said Deborah.
Important Safety Information
Additional information about Penumbra’s products can be located on Penumbra’s website at https://www.penumbrainc.com/products/red-reperfusion-catheters/. Caution: Federal (USA) law restricts these devices to sale by or on the order of a physician. Prior to use, please refer to Instructions for Use for complete product indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, potential adverse events, and detailed instructions for use. Risk information can be found at peninc.info/risk.
The clinical results presented herein are for informational purposes only, and may not be predictive for all patients. Individual results may vary depending on patient-specific attributes and other factors.
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