The city’s Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has began using revolutionary device- ‘Stent Retrievers’ proving lifeline for acute stroke patients, which not only removes a clot but also ensure lower risk of serious disability, helping to curb the number of deaths.
PGIMER doctors, who have successfully operated more than 50 patients with this new technique in the period of 24 months, are terming it a remarkable than the prevalent ‘Tissue Plasminogen Activator’ (tPA) injection. Dr Dheeraj Khurana, in charge of stroke services, PGIMER while talking to The Pioneer said that the most severe strokes—those that can cause lifelong loss of independent function—are often due to blood clots that suddenly enter and block one of the main arteries supplying blood flow to the brain.
“No less than four large, randomised clinical trials recently reported results showing that using stents to remove large clots from cerebral arteries can restore blood flow and halt further damage to the brains of patients with acute strokes”, said Dr Khurana. He added, in fact, the stent-based retrievers and other mechanical approaches used to remove stroke-causing clots proved so effective, that patient feels huge relief after the operation and moreover its success rate globally is 50 to 60 per cent. In PGIMER, we are getting 40 to 50 per cent success here, said Dr Khurana.
“The prevalent method with ‘Tissue Plasminogen Activator’ (tPA) injection gives quite less success rate and even in some of the cases patients recovered partially after the operation”, said added Dr Khurana. Prof. Vivek lal, Head of the Department of Neurology, PGIMER said that the numbers of stroke patients are gradually increasing here and we get around 800 to 900 new patients of ‘stroke’ every year besides old existing patients.
“80 per cent of the total stroke patients belong to rural areas, who always reach late at PGIMER due to ignorance about the symptoms and disease for their treatment, which prove fatal later on”, added Prof. lal. Prof. lal added, “now we see stroke problem in every age group. It happens not only in old aged persons, but also young ones, which is due to excessive smoking, stress and fast food”.
On the issue of cost of treatment, Dr Khurana admitted that stent based retriever treatment is costly at Rs1.5 lakh as compare to traditional ‘Tissue Plasminogen Activator’ (tPA) injection which cost Rs50 to 60,000 per stroke patient, said Dr Khurana. Dr Khurana also said there should be ‘brain stroke centre’ like cardiac centre in India.