Interventional Neurology

Interventional neurology is an approach to treat aneurysm, neurovascular disease and stroke. These procedures are minimally invasive and are completed with a small incision no bigger than the size of a nickel. One of the primary objectives of interventional neurology is to improve stroke care. A stroke occurs when a part of the brain stops receiving oxygen flow or if there are damaged cells due to sudden bleeding in the brain. There are two main types of stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic is more common and is caused by a blood clot that blocks a blood vessel or artery in the brain. Hemorrhagic is caused by a blood vessel breaking and bleeding into the brain. Standard treatment of acute ischemic stroke includes the use of IV tPA (intravenous tissue plasminogen activator), which must be administered within three hours of stroke onset and only after ruling out hemorrhagic stroke. However, when the three hour treatment window has expired, our interventional neurologists are able to use the latest in neuro interventional equipment to perform minimally-invasive surgery to remove the blood clot. These procedures are performed under the guidance of advanced X-ray monitors. Recent advances in imaging capabilities enable our highly-trained interventional neurologists to treat blocked arteries of the brain by removing, breaking-up, or even sucking out the blood clot. With the assistance of this equipment, our physicians help save the lives of patients and allow them to return to a normal life, in some cases before the loss of function.

 

Our interventional neurologists treat the following conditions:

• Acute stroke
• Aneurysm
• Endovascular treatment of blood vessels in the neck and brain
• Arteriovenous malformations in the brain