Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center adopts new FDA-cleared stroke treatment technology
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center has begun using newly FDA-cleared technology designed to help remove blood clots in patients experiencing ischemic strokes.
According to Novant Health, the hospital is the first in North Carolina to incorporate Penumbra’s THUNDERBOLT computer-assisted vacuum thrombectomy technology. The device received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month, in June.
Hospital officials said Dr. Justin Cappuzzo recently became the first neurosurgeon in North Carolina to use the technology following its FDA clearance. Novant Health also said Cappuzzo was the first neurosurgeon in the world to use the device through a transradial approach, which accesses the artery through the wrist rather than the groin.
The technology is used during thrombectomy procedures to treat ischemic strokes, which occur when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain. Restoring blood flow quickly is critical to limiting brain damage.
Traditional thrombectomy techniques include mechanical thrombectomy, which removes a clot with a catheter, and aspiration thrombectomy, which uses suction to extract the clot. According to Novant Health, THUNDERBOLT uses computer-assisted, modulated aspiration that varies suction force during the procedure and can draw the clot through the catheter instead of requiring it to be manually removed.
“This technology is a powerful addition to our capabilities and is only the latest example of how our center provides southeastern North Carolina with world-renowned stroke care,” Cappuzzo said in a statement. “Thanks to our advanced protocols, we are already removing clots faster than the national average, and this technology will allow us to be even more efficient in a situation where every minute counts to save brain cells.”
According to the American Stroke Association, someone in the United States has a stroke approximately every 40 seconds, and stroke remains a leading cause of long-term disability.
Health officials encourage people to recognize the warning signs of a stroke using the acronym BE FAST:
- Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination.
- Eyes: Sudden blurred vision, double vision or vision loss.
- Face: One side of the face droops when smiling.
- Arms: One arm drifts downward when both arms are raised.
- Speech: Slurred or unusual speech.
- Time: Call 911 immediately if any of these symptoms occur.
