New treatment 'dissolves' blood clots in brainRSS Feed

A new treatment could be used to dissolve blot clots in the brain, potentially lessening the brain injury caused by the condition.

Research by a team at Johns Hopkins revealed that by combining minimally invasive surgery with an imaging technique dubbed "GPS for the brain" and clot-busting drug t-PA has been found to be safe and effective.

Patients with intracerebral haemorrhage suffer from a blood clot which builds up pressure and leaches inflammatory chemicals, possibly causing irreversible brain injury which can lead to death or severe disability.

Daniel Hanley, of the university, said that reducing the clot's size with a minimally invasive method is "pivotal" for optimising patient recovery.

"We're confirming that patients do recover better if we remove as much of the clot as we can, but gentle removal appears to be key," he continued.

This follows a study from the University of California, Irvine, which found that susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), usually used as a secondary diagnosis tool for brain haemorrhages and clots, could be used to identify the brain injury seen in stroke.

News brought to you by Serious Law specialists in brain injury

Posted by Paul Breen
 

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