A 56-year-old woman in Mumbai suffered from an Ischemic Stroke while exercising in the morning. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks or narrows an artery leading to the brain.
According to Dr Pavan Pai, Consultant Interventional Neurologist, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, the patient with complete right-side body weakness and drowsiness underwent a Mechanical Thrombectomy to be able to resume her daily routine.
The woman a homemaker, was exercising in the gym in the morning at 9:15 am when she suddenly developed right-side weakness. Her son admitted her to the hospital.
“On arrival in an emergency at 12 pm Code White was announced. She had complete weakness in the right side of her body, couldn’t speak, and was drowsy. She had reached within a window period of 4.5 hours. Her MRI brain showed an Ischemic Stroke with a complete occlusion of a medium sized artery. She was given a clot buster injection at 12:30 pm and taken up for mechanical thrombectomy at 2 pm. Dr Pai added, “She underwent mechanical thrombectomy and the artery opened in 6 hours. She had an underlying heart problem named Rheumatic Heart Disease, resulting in a clot in the heart to dislodge and lead to the blockage of the artery,” Dr Pavan Pai, Interventional Neurologist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road said.
According to Dr. Pai, the artery which was blocked was a medium vessel called anterior cerebral artery A2 segment. It is a distant artery that got blocked.
To reach there with any device is challenging as the artery was smaller in calibre because of which it is inherently thin and delicate. She recovered well and went home in 6 days. Mechanical Thrombectomy is done to unclog the blocked artery and restore the blood supply. It is performed in Cath lab with access from femoral or radial arteries. The procedure lasted for 1 hour. After the thrombectomy, her consciousness level and limb power improved. She could go home walking in 6 days,” the doctor explained.
Mechanical Thrombectomy is a life-saving procedure and can help stroke patients improve their quality of life. If done in a time-bound manner with the complete opening of the artery one can expect a complete recovery in a short span of time, he added.
According to Dr. Pai, there is a strong connection between winter and brain strokes which may lead to paralysis.
“Cold weather constricts the blood vessels, which can increase blood pressure – a major risk factor for stroke. However, blood tends to thicken and become stickier during extreme cold, which makes it easier to clot. Most strokes are due to blood clotting, which blocks a blood vessel to the brain. Our bodies’ reaction to cold weather tends to put added stress on the heart as we “clamp down” to preserve heat and energy. There is a sudden spurt in the number of stroke cases. B.E.F.A.S.T (Balance Loss, Eyesight Blurring or Loss, Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Time) and seek treatment within the golden hour of the stroke to recover without any complications,” he explained.
