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If you suspect yourself or someone else to be having these symptoms, you should immediately seek medical help.
These tests involve taking a series of images of the Brain to detect stroke (brain attack). This test is usually the first investigation to be performed and is particularly useful to look for presence for infart (Ischemic Stroke) and Bleeding (Haemorrhagic stroke)
This test is used to image the Brain Blood Vessels.
This is very specialized test which uses magnetic properties of body to create very detailed images of Brain as well as blood vessels so as to diagnose Brain attack.
This is the most accurate in diagnosis of most of the diseases of blood vessel. A small tube (Catheter) is guided from the leg blood vessel in to the blood vessel we wish to study followed by dye (contrast) injections to obtain the images. CT/MR Angiography is also an option in some cases.
This ultrasound method is used to image the blood vessels and the abnormalities in them.
This test is used to study the intracranial Blood Vessel.
If you’re having a stroke, time is critical. Immediate treatment may minimize the long-term effects of a Stroke and even prevent death. Treatment will vary depending on what type of stroke you had.
Brain attack is caused due to decreased blood supply (Ischaemic Stroke). If patient reaches hospital within 4.5 hours from onset of symptoms, Neurologist gives special clot bursting medicine by venous route( injection in Vein of arm) to open blood vessel to reduced Brain damage. If clot burden is large, clot bursting medicine may not work. Neurologist may advise DSA (Digital Subtraction Angiography) to see Blood vessel has opened up or not. It is like Heart Angiography but done for the Brain. If Blood vessel is not opened, Interventional Neuroradiologist may use special Stent to remove clot from the Brain (Mechanical Thrombectomy). If the blood vessel is open by this means there are maximum chances that patient will have good functional recovery.
For minor stroke, Neurologist may prescribe blood thinning medicine like Aspirin or Clopidogrel.
There is a clot-dissolving drug called Alteplase (tPA) to treat stroke. It can stop a Stroke in progress and reduce disability from Stroke by breaking up a blood clot that might be stopping the flow of blood to the Brain. To be eligible for Alteplase, you must seek emergency treatment right away and have a clot-caused Stroke. It must be given within 3 to 4.5 hours after symptoms start. The sooner it is given, the greater the possibility of a better outcome.
Another treatment option is called a Mechanical Thrombectomy. It is done when large blood vessel of Brain is blocked. In this procedure, specially trained doctors try to remove the blood clot by using a special design Stent called a Stent Retriever. To remove the clot, doctors thread a Catheter (thin tube) with a Stent through an artery in the Groin up to the blocked artery in the Brain. The Stent opens and grabs the clot. The doctors then remove the stent with the trapped clot. This must be done within six hours to 24 hours of the symptoms of stroke and only after the patient has received IV Alteplase. Patients must meet certain criteria to be eligible for this procedure. It is proven in multiple clinical studies that if patient is treated with clot removal Angiographic techniques (Mechanical Thrombectomy), chances of good functional recovery is high as compared to only medicines given.
So to summarise, it is very important to identify stroke early since early treatment limits severity of stroke and also equally important to go directly without wasting time to the Hospital, which has round the clock availability of Neurologist and intervention facility (Cath Lab) to remove clot.
Carotid artery is a blood vessel which supplies blood to brain and its narrowing can result in Brain attack. The narrowing can be treated by opening it up with a Balloon followed by placing a metal mesh scaffolding (stent) across it. This is proven to be more effective than medical treatment alone in reducing the risk. This is performed early (< 2 weeks) after a minor attack to prevent a further disabling stroke.
