Catheter intervention for severe stroke life-saving

A large EU-funded study with the participation of experts from Graz has now shown that the removal of the causative blood clot with a catheter intervention in severe strokes can save lives. "Even in patients with severe strokes, treatment using a catheter to open the vessel occlusion is successful. In almost 20 percent of the patients treated, death or the need for nursing care could be prevented by a corresponding procedure," the Hamburg University Hospital (UKE) now reported. About 20 years ago, in the case of ischemic strokes (blood clots in a cerebral vessel), it was started to apply drug dissolution of these thrombi by medication. This in itself led to significantly better treatment results, because permanent damage can be prevented by the rapid restoration of oxygen supply to the brain. In recent years, catheter interventions for mechanical removal of the clot have been added with increasing frequency. The best results are achieved with all treatments if they are administered within four and a half or six hours of the onset of symptoms - in other words, as quickly as possible.