When Umarani, Nihar Ahmed, and Seetharaman were brought to the Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital (KMCH), they were all experiencing symptoms of debilitating stroke. The hospital’s emergency department initiated its ‘code stroke’ treatment, and within minutes, the treatment began.

Thanks to the swift action, all the three patients are back on their feet, with no long-term effects of the disease. These are individual cases of stroke that the team of specialists has successfully dealt with at KMCH.

Dr V. Arul Selvan, Consultant Neurologist at KMCH, diagnosed, assessed, and ordered an immediate Computed Tomography (CT) scan, and a specialised Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. The scans revealed major blocks in the blood vessels of all the three patients. Medicines, in such cases, can treat the condition to only a certain extent.

Without wasting any time, Dr Arul Selvan approached Dr. P Mathew Cherian, Interventional Radiologist at KMCH for an expert opinion. In consultation with Dr. Pankaj Mehta, it was decided to perform the current state-of-the-art procedure to treat stroke on each of the three patients.

A digital subtraction brain angiogram was done swiftly at the neuro vascular Bi Plane angiography suite, which confirmed the presence of a block in all the three patients. Dr. Mathew and his team used a device that resembles a fishing net to suck the clots out. Once the clots were removed, blood flow to the affected organ resumed. Within a few hours, the patients were able to move their limbs effortlessly. All the three patients were back on their feet.

Addressing the media in the presence of the three patients who underwent the treatment for stroke, Dr. Nallai G Palaniswami, Chairman of KMCH, said, “All the three patients came to the hospital as soon as the symptoms of stroke were noticed. The timely approach to treat stroke by our doctors has put the patients back on their feet. Newer technologies have brought in treatments like clot bursting agents and clot retrieval devices, to re-establish flow and they have revolutionized the outcomes. Although they may appear bit expensive, but in reality, these procedures are safe and cost effective if someone calculates the overall cost against the long term expenses for caring a paralyzed patient.”

Stroke is a condition which results either when a blood vessel to the brain suddenly gets blocked or ruptured, leading to paralysis. It is one of the leading causes of disability and death in India. Although it mainly affects the elderly people, in recent times, the disease has become a common occurrence even in the younger population. Most stroke survivors either partially or completely lose the functioning of their limbs, and rehabilitating them takes a heavy toll on the finances. Also, secondary deaths happen due to infections like bedsores.

Men are more prone to stroke, compared to women. High blood pressure, diabetes, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, high cholesterol, family history of stroke, and unhealthy eating habits are the main causes for stroke.