Different Strokes

- Nicky Pellegrino

About 24 New Zealanders a day have a stroke, and until recently, all doctors could do for many of them was watch and wait. When the blood flow to the brain is interrupted – very often blocked by a clot – the brain cells are starved of nutrients and quickly damaged. Those who survive an ischaemic stroke receive speech therapy and physiotherapy to rehabilitate them as much as possible, but for many, the consequences are devastating, and strokes remain a leading cause of disability.

A game changer for an increasing number of patients has been a surgical technique that allows doctors to remove the clot from the artery before the brain is extensively damaged. Speed is important here, so it is crucial to recognise the signs of stroke in the first place – these include sudden difficulty speaking, weakness on one side of the body, drooping on one side of the face, sudden blurred or lost vision – and call an ambulance. At hospital, a number of scans need to happen, including the less commonly performed perfusion scan, which looks at blood flow in each region of the brain. If judged a good candidate, the patient is then whisked into surgery, where the clot is removed and the blood starts flowing normally again.