Dr. Francesco Massari, MD PhD
Assistant Professor of Radiology, Division of Neuroimaging and Intervention (NII)
Title: NeuroInterventional Stroke Management: Current Status and Future Prospects
Biography
Biography: Dr. Francesco Massari, MD PhD
Abstract
Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the fifth leading cause of death, and remains the leading cause of disability in the USA. There are an estimated 680 000 new strokes per year in the USA, with a mortality rate of 53–94%, and with an even greater morbidity. Ischemic strokes are most commonly caused by either a rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque or by a blood clot that forms in another part of the body and travels into the brain. Ischemic strokes can occur suddenly and can lead to devastating consequences. Timely recognition and response is critical.
It is estimated that 3–22% of these patients are candidates for endovascular therapy. In addition to baseline stroke severity, emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) has been shown to be an independent predictor of poor outcome at 6 months. While intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV r-tPA) has proven efficacious predominantly for small cerebral vessel occlusions, endovascular therapies, including stent retriever based, aspiration based mechanical thrombectomy techniques, and intra-arterial administration of thrombolytic agents, have been shown to achieve higher rates of recanalization in patients with ELVO. The importance of quickly treating patients with acute ischemic stroke has been borne out in several studies, demonstrating the fact that the faster a patient’s blood flow to the brain is restored, the faster they will recover. The goal of quickly restoring blood flow to the brain is to provide patients with the best chance at a good recovery.