Yes, an 80 to 90 per cent chance of
opening up blocked vessels but they tell you nothing about getting you to full recovery. The goal is 100% recovery for all stroke survivors, not just these minor improvements. Demand they start working on BHAGs(Big Hairy Audacious Goals).
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/stroke-new-treatment-mechanical-thrombectomy-restores-blood-flow-brain-blockage-stent-nhs-a7677611.html
A “game-changing” new treatment that restores blood flow to the brain after a stroke has been approved by the NHS.
Around 8,000 patients a year are set to benefit from the revolutionary procedure, called a mechanical thrombectomy, when it is rolled out to specialist clinics across the country.
The treatment can significantly improve chances of recovery for
individuals who suffer a severe form of stroke where blood vessels in
the brain become blocked.
During the procedure, a small piece of wire mesh is
inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the groin area, and travels
through arteries to the brain, where it is used to dislodge and remove
the blockage.
Trials have shown that if a patient undergoes the procedure within six hours of symptoms beginning to show, survival rates and quality of life are dramatically improved.
It will now be introduced at all 24 neurology centres in England, having previously only been available at a limited number of hospitals across the country.
“This major national upgrade to stroke services puts the NHS at the
leading edge of stroke care internationally,” said NHS chief executive
Simon Stevens said.
“It's another practical example of the NHS quietly expanding
innovative modern care that will really benefit patients, but which
tends to be invisible in the public debate about the NHS.”
The treatment is due to be phased in from later in 2017, benefiting around 1,000 patients in its first year.
NHS England and Health Education England will then work with trusts
to build up the number of centres capable of providing thrombectomy to
patients with certain types of acute ischaemic stroke.
The complicated procedure is carried out by a highly trained practitioner called an interventional neuroradiologist.
Juliet Bouverie, chief executive at the Stroke Association, said:
“Thrombectomy is a real game changer which can save lives and reduce the
chances of someone being severely disabled after a stroke.
”Stroke is the fourth biggest killer in the UK, and a leading cause
of disability. Current treatment options are limited and do not always
work.
“This decision by NHS England could give thousands of critically ill
stroke patients an increased chance of making a better recovery.
“It could mean more stroke survivors living independently in their
own homes, returning to work and taking control of their lives again as a
result. And this will undoubtedly lower NHS and social care costs for
stroke.”
St George's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London
was the first hospital in the UK to provide a thrombectomy service
around the clock.
Dr Jeremy Madigan, consultant diagnostic and interventional
neuroradiologist at St George's, described the advantages of the
procedure.
He said: “At St George's, our patients are benefiting from the
thrombectomy service we provide, with an 80 to 90 per cent chance of
opening up blocked vessels via this technique, compared to 30 per
cent with traditional clot-busting drugs.
“Patients with acute stroke require a range of different
interventions, but providing a thrombectomy service - including at all
times of the day, as we do at St George's – radically improves the range
and mix of interventions available to us as clinicians.”
Stroke is estimated to cost the NHS around £3 billion per year, with
additional cost to the economy of £4 billion in lost productivity,
disability and informal care.
Consultant neuroradiologist Sanjeev Nayak, who pioneered the
treatment at the University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust, has
described the new treatment as "one of the top 10 medical innovations of
the last decade".
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