UNC Hospitals is the first in the Triangle to offer a new procedure that may prevent permanent disability from stroke by removing dangerous clots before permanent damage occurs.

Most stroke patients who suffer permanent disability have had blood flow cut off to part of their brain because of a clot. Once the blood flow is stopped, it only takes a few minutes for damage to occur.

Clot-dissolving drugs have been the standard treatment for years, but are only effective if given within the first three hours of symptoms. But newer devices offer an eight-hour window for treatment because they go directly to the clots, removing them altogether.

The Penumbra is a catheter-based device that works like a vacuum in the arteries of the brain, allowing specialized neurosurgeons to use suction to remove the clot before the damage is permanent.

"Once a stroke has occurred, it's essentially a lot of rehabilitation, physical therapy, things like that to get better," said Dr. Souvik Sen, director of the UNC Stroke Center. "But this is reversing stroke right in the beginning, meaning a lot of treatment is avoided, and a lot of disability is avoided."

Neurointerventional surgeon Dr. Sten Solander says having the Penumbra offers more choices in treating stroke patients. And more choices, he says, means better outcomes.

"It's exciting to have more tools," he said. "That gives us better chances of getting the clot out of the brain."

UNC doctors also say that the expanded window of treatment gives them the ability to treat patients from outside the Triangle whose hospitals may not have advanced stroke care.

But they stress that recognizing the signs of stroke and getting emergency care as quickly as possible are the first steps to better outcomes. If you have symptoms like weakness, numbness, speech or vision difficulty or have a bad headache, you should call 911 immediately.

Click here to learn more about the UNC Stroke Center.

Find out more about rehabilitation for stroke patients at UNC. 

Related Links

1. Find out more about the warning signs of stroke.