North Shore Medical Center FMC Campus has taken another step towards excellence in stroke care by offering its patients the Solitaire™ FR device by Covidien. The device is intended to restore blood flow to the brain in patients suffering acute ischemic stroke by mechanically removing blood clots from blocked vessels.
“The Solitaire™ FR technology provides our physicians with an important tool for treating stroke, and providing patients with the best possible outcomes,” said Ben A. Rodriguez, Chief Administrative Officer of North Shore Medical Center FMC Campus. “We’re one of the first hospitals in south Florida to utilize this technology; FMC Campus and its physicians are committed to being at the forefront of comprehensive stroke care.”
The Solitaire™ device is a self-expanding stent-based design that mechanically removes blood clots from blocked vessels after a stroke. After insertion into the clot using a thin tube, or catheter, the device traps the clot then both device and clot are removed, restoring blood flow. A clinical study showed that this method achieved positive results over an older comparable device- the MERCI retriever- that uses a tiny corkscrew to snare and remove the blood clot.
In the clinical study comparing the two devices, the Solitaire™ FR device demonstrated superior performance to the MERCI retriever. This study was the first randomized clinical trial ever conducted on mechanical intervention for acute ischemic stroke. The Solitaire™ FR device showed a 2.5 times benefit in restoring blood flow to the brain, as determined by a blinded core lab, a 1.7 times improvement in post-stroke neurological function and a 55 percent reduction in mortality at 90 days.
“When treating patients who have experienced stroke, it’s critical to remove the source of the problem- often a blood clot-, and do so as quickly and as efficiently as possible, which is what the Solitaire device allows interventionalists to do,” said Dr. Nils Mueller, interventional neurologist. “This technology will enhance our ability to provide some of the best possible stroke treatment to our community.”
According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the US and a leading cause of long-term disability. Approximately 700,000 people each year in the U.S. suffer an acute ischemic stroke. The Solitaire device will assist North Shore Medical Center FMC Campus’s neurologists and interventionalists in providing advanced care and treatment options to patients experiencing a stroke.
For more information about North Shore Medical Center FMC Campus and neurology services, visit www.fmc-campus.com or call 954-735-6000.
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