Stroke Stopper

Reported April 2006

BALTIMORE (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- When a stroke hits, it hits the brain hard -- many times causing paralysis, speech problems, or even death. Now, doctors have a new weapon against this deadly brain attacker.

John Dietz is happy to be back on his feet after a surprise stroke left him almost speechless. "I have trouble getting the words out. I know the words in my brain, but I can't get them out."

The artery in John's brain that caused the stroke was almost completely blocked. Now, to save his life a new tiny, flexible stent to open clogged arteries and prevent another stroke from happening is in his brain.

Traditional stiff stents are used to treat blockages in the heart and neck. The new wingspan stent, however, is designed for the fragile, curvy arteries in the brain.

Abraham Obuchowski, M.D., an interventional neuroradiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, says, "The stent is more flexible so it can make the turns to get up into the brain."

Neuro-radiologists guide the wire-mesh stent with a catheter up the artery in the leg leading to the brain. Then a protective covering is removed and the self-expanding stent props open the clogged artery. "You can actually take it and squeeze it and crush it, and it will pop back into position. So that's what's unique about this stent," Dr. Obuchowski says.

John is hopeful this unique device will help him have a stroke-free future.

The new wingspan stent system is designed for patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease, or ICAD. Until now, the only treatment option for these patients was medication therapy like aspirin or using a heart stent in the brain.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Dr. Abraham Obuchowski
University of Maryland Medical Center
Baltimore, MD
410-328-UMMS (8667)

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