Types of Stroke and Treatment

Types of Stroke

There are two types of stroke. At a Primary Stroke Center, we can quickly diagnose the difference.

Ischemic stroke is a clot that blocks blood flow in the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke is a bleed that sometimes may be too massive to resolve.

The vast majority of strokes are ischemic (clots).

Treatment options at our fingertips. Wonder what some of the treatments for clots are?

When you get to a hospital quickly, a CT scan is performed to determine the type of stroke. Depending on your recent medical history, and if you arrive within 3 hours of symptom onset, the clot-busting miracle drug, tPA, can be administered intravenously to begin dissolving the clot.

Within 6-9 hours of symptoms appearing, neurologists and interventional radiologist may decide to intervene further with one or multiple of the following procedures by inserting a catheter through the groin into the artery, and all the way up to the brain. The catheter gives access to a number of devices:

Merci Retriever device (wire coil) to capture and remove clot Penumbra suction device to remove whole or pieces of clot Locally administer tPA medicine to clot to further dissolve Solitaire – a new, highly-effective device that utilizes a stent to restore blood flow

This is why it’s important to get to the hospital quickly. The greatest number of treatment options is available the sooner you arrive. Fast response time, and the talent and skill of the intervening physicians, improves your chances for a good outcome.