Stroke is a top-five leading killer of Americans, and Health First Interventional Neuroradiologist Fawad Shaheen, MD, says there have been a lot of misconceptions around the very word “stroke.” He hopped on the podcast Putting Your Health First and spoke to Vero News to discuss what it is, and to point out that the data show older Americans (65 and up) are facing less stroke risk and suffering less debilitating outcomes partly because of treatments like the one he offers.

“Treatment for stroke underwent a major change in 2014 when the ‘MR CLEAN’ report was issued – it revolutionized everything,” he told Vero News. “After that, hospitals began to add thrombectomy-capable stroke centers and the successes and expansion of treatment has continued to grow.”

In a stroke, one of two things happens. This oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood is stopped by a clot in the vessel (ischemia), or the vessel itself hemorrhages. In either case, time is critical.

Medical therapies have evolved to be pretty effective at treating stroke if delivered right away. One, thrombectomy, involves threading a microcatheter up an artery into the affected area of the brain and mechanically extracting the clot. Dr. Shaheen performs this procedure at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical, the area’s only Joint Commission-certified Thrombectomy Center.

A thrombectomy is a life-saving procedure, but it’s also incredibly restorative.

“There is no age cutoff for the procedure, although the majority of studies end at age 85,” says Dr. Shaheen. “If a person is older but in general good health, the chances are it’s appropriate. I had a 101-year-old patient who had it done and walked out of here smiling.”

READ the full feature in Vero News HERE.

CLICK HERE to listen to Dr. Fawad Shaheen’s podcast that explains stroke – what it is exactly and what to watch for.

Or READ the full news story in Space Coast Daily HERE.