If you're having a stroke, rapid treatment is essential. Studies have shown that immediate treatment may minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death. Stroke treatments and survival rates have improved greatly over the last decade thanks to recent advancements.
Holland Hospital will soon offer neurothrombectomy along the Lakeshore. Neurothrombectomy is a life-saving procedure used to treat acute strokes and involves the surgical removal of a blood clot from a blood vessel.
The new treatment is the result of a partnership between Holland Hospital and Metro Health — University of Michigan Health, which is becoming the University of Michigan Health-West.
“Stroke patients who needed this procedure in the past have been transferred to Grand Rapids area hospitals,” says Melissa Spooner, emergency and urgent care services director and procedure planning team leader at Holland Hospital.
“Minimizing the time to treatment is vital for stroke patients, so being able to do these procedures right here further strengthens our stroke treatment capabilities and is a significant benefit for the community,” Spooner says.
With this partnership, Holland Hospital is bringing the expertise of Metro Health’s Comprehensive Stroke Center to patients along the Lakeshore, says Dr. Augusto Elias, neurointerventional radiologist at Metro Health — University of Michigan Health.
“When it comes to stroke, time is brain. Every second counts to limit the risk of brain damage or death,” Elias says.
Preparing for launch
Over the past year, a multidisciplinary team from Holland Hospital and Metro Health experts have worked together to prepare to perform these procedures in the Cath Lab Special Procedures Room at Holland Hospital. The detailed planning process has touched on every aspect of care, from facilities and equipment to treatment protocols and more.
“When a patient at Holland Hospital is determined to be a candidate for the procedure, Metro Health neurointerventionalists receive an alert and consult remotely with our (emergency department) staff,” Spooner says. “Upon confirmation, our team will begin preparations and be ready when the Metro Health specialists arrive on site.”
“We are very excited about this valuable collaboration with Metro Health,” says Patti VanDort, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Holland Hospital. “We look forward to working together as we continue to provide the most effective and timely stroke care for area residents.”
It is anticipated that approximately 10% of ischemic stroke patients (stroke caused by a blood vessel blockage) will be candidates for neurothrombectomy — or about 25 patients per year.
For more information about stroke or the neurothrombectomy procedure, visit
hollandhospital.org/stroke or
metrohealth.net/stroke.
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