Interim Data Presented at International Stroke Conference Called 'Promising'
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) February 20, 2015 -- A device that reaches into the brain to remove blood clots can significantly improve outcomes for patients experiencing the most disabling strokes, according to interim data presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2015.
The data found that neurosurgeons were able to restore blood flow to the brain in 88 percent of the 153 patients in the Trevo® Retriever Registry. The patients were treated at multiple medical centers in the United States and Europe.
Twenty six percent of patients were discharged directly to their homes after the intervention, an outcome once exceedingly rare for patients with acute stroke. Another 33 percent of patients were discharged to inpatient rehabilitation.
“We are excited so far and eager to see the complete data as the registry continues,” said Erol Veznedaroglu, MD, FACS, FAANS, FAHA, principal investigator for the registry. Dr. Veznedaroglu is the newly appointed director of the Drexel Neurosciences Institute, which officially launches March 15th. He has also been appointed chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Drexel University College of Medicine.
“We see patients who once would have been confined to nursing homes going back to work,” said Dr. Veznedaroglu. “Many can return to an independent life. It drives home the point that people need to understand the symptoms of stroke and call 911 immediately at the first symptom,” he said.
Dr. Mandy Binning, MD, Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Capital Health, presented the data at the international conference in Nashville last week.
“Short-term outcome data appears promising in these carefully selected patients,” Dr. Binning said. Capital Health is an affiliate hospital of the Drexel Neurosciences Institute.
Dr. Binning said neurosurgeons intervene using a minimally invasive, endovascular approach when images of the brain, obtained using a specialized CT scan technology called CT Perfusion, show that salvageable brain exists beyond the clot. Dr. Binning said more than half of these carefully selected patients are expected to have a good recovery, despite experiencing an acute stroke.
The registry examines the real-world performance of Trevo®. The device uses a miniaturized, flexible fine wire mesh that is inserted in the groin and threaded through the patient’s artery system and into the brain. Once the device is navigated to the blood clot, it is unsheathed and automatically expands to grab the clot as well as immediately create a pathway to allow blood to flow beyond the clot to nourish the brain. Once the clot is fully entrapped within the mesh, it is then withdrawn from the brain and removed from the body, restoring blood flow to the brain.
The international, multi-center registry follows acute stroke patients who undergo the procedure, called mechanical thrombectomy, using the Trevo® stent retriever as the initial device. The registry is expected to eventually reach 300 subjects and include as many as 40 sites.
The interim data included 74 men and 79 women, with a mean age of 67.
The registry also found that real-world rates of revascularization, or restoring blood flow, were significantly higher than the rates in the clinical trial. Trevo is a product of Stryker Corporation.
Carol Ann Campbell, Campbell Health Media, +1 (973) 315-0300, [email protected]
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