How a new device at Novant Health is changing stroke treatment
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Every year, nearly 800,000 Americans experience a stroke, and doctors say every minute counts when restoring blood flow to the brain.
Novant Health has introduced a new technology called Thunderbolt that physicians say could help remove blood clots more quickly and, in some cases, prevent permanent stroke damage.
Dr. Justin Cappuzzo, a neurosurgeon with Novant Health, said strokes occur when a blood vessel supplying the brain becomes blocked, cutting off oxygen to brain tissue.
“When that happens because they can’t get blood flow, those areas of the brain you start having symptoms like weakness, slurred speak,” Cappuzzo said.
After imaging identifies the blockage, doctors can use the Thunderbolt system to remove the clot through a minimally invasive procedure. The technology uses a computer-assisted vacuum catheter that is inserted through a patient’s wrist and guided through the blood vessels to the clot.
“And this is called the red catheter and we can actually navigate this one up through the larger one all the way up to the blood clot which is what you are seeing in green,” Cappuzzo explained.
Once the catheter reaches the clot, the system helps break it apart and remove it, restoring blood flow to the brain.
Cappuzzo said advances like Thunderbolt are changing the way physicians approach stroke care.
“Stroke years ago was a ‘how do I manage the patient after they’ve had the stroke?’ Now what we’re doing is intervening before that stroke damage has occurred,” he said.
He added that restoring blood flow within minutes can significantly improve patient outcomes.
“From rehabbing them and trying their best to get them back to where they were but you couldn’t reverse the damage that’s already been done, with this, within minutes we can restore blood flow and the patients don’t have any neurological consequences after this procedure,” Cappuzzo said.
Novant Health encourages people to recognize the warning signs of a stroke, including blurred vision, facial drooping on one side, slurred speech and unsteadiness. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should call 911 immediately.
