Angioplasty for Your Brain

Physicians at GW Hospital are treating certain types of blockages in the brain using a technique similar to balloon angioplasty for cardiac patients. This new therapy can benefit patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD), a condition that causes excess plaque to build up and block the blood vessels in the brain. "Intracranial blockages account for about one in 10 strokes," says Vivek Deshmukh, MD, a neurosurgeon with an interest in cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery.

GW Hospital is one of only a few centers in the region offering a new therapy: intracranial endovascular procedures. It helps prevent catastrophic strokes in patients who have transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or mild strokes due to intracranial blockages.

"We use balloons, catheters and stents designed specifically for the delicate vessels in the brain," Dr. Deshmukh says. "The catheters can travel longer distances inside the body, and the stents adapt to the blood vessels and exert gentle outward force to keep them open."

These innovative tools allow neurosurgeons to perform intricate procedures that are similar to coronary angioplasty. They place small catheters into the groin arteries, and then maneuver them to the blockages in the brain using balloons and stents to open the vessels.

"This has shown to be an extremely effective way to improve blood flow to the brain in patients with intracranial blockages," Dr. Deshmukh says.

"Previously, aspirin and blood thinning medications, such as warfarin, were the only treatments available," Dr. Deshmukh says. "These drugs aren't effective in many patients, and frequently do not prevent the progression of intracranial blockages."

Brain Power

Have you had a stroke or been told you have an intercranial blockage? Please call 1-888-4GW-DOCS or visit www.gwhospital.com to make an appointment with a neurosurgeon and discuss your options.

Know When to Act

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