Stroke Care
When a patient comes to the hospital with stroke symptoms, it's crucial to make a proper diagnosis quickly in order to begin treatment to minimize the effects of a stroke. The stroke care team at Lake Granbury Medical Center delivers potentially life-saving care for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, and can perform stroke treatment options such as:
- Angioplasty and stent placement to open blocked arteries and veins
- Embolizing agents (clotting medications) delivered by catheter to stop blood flow resulting from hemorrhagic strokes
- Thrombolitic therapy deliver blood clot-dissolving medicine to treat ischemic strokes
- Minimally invasive surgery to remove a blood clot, or repair blood vessels
About 87 percent of all strokes are ischemic strokes. These occur when a blood vessel to the brain is suddenly blocked. Without the oxygen carried by blood, the brain will die, resulting in the body's inability to work properly.
Hemorrhagic strokes account for only 13 percent of all strokes, but are much more serious. In these cases, an artery in the brain leaks or bursts, causing bleeding in the brain or near its surface.
Do not disregard stroke symptoms that quickly disappear. They could be the sign of a transient ischemic attack, also known as a TIA or mini stroke. TIAs serve as a warning sign that a real stroke is imminent, but early treatment for TIAs can help prevent full-blown strokes.
Brain damage can start within minutes of a stroke, so it's important to recognize symptoms and act quickly. Quick response may mean the difference between short-term and permanent disability, as well as less chance of brain damage and greater chance of full recovery.
Following an hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, rehabilitation care is there to help individuals regain their independence. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation team at Lake Granbury Medical Center provides caring, personalized assistance to help patients meet their goals, both short and long-term.
Patients who arrive at the emergency room at Lake Granbury Medical Center with stroke symptoms can now receive immediate 24-hour stroke care, thanks to a telemedicine cart. This means that lifesaving medical intervention for potential stroke patients is right here in Granbury.
Telemedicine
If it's suspected that a stroke has occurred, the stroke team will take a scan of the patient's brain and, if further examination is warranted, the telemedicine cart is wheeled into the patient's room. This fully interactive telemedicine cart allows a neurologist – a doctor specially trained in stroke care – to examine a patient as though he or she were sitting at the bedside, download and review the brain scan image and discuss the findings with the patient and ER staff.
The neurologist can also do a remote examination of the patient through video conferencing, where the patient is able to see and talk to the neurologist. Because the telemedicine cart can focus on the patient in the exam room and zoom in so close that the patient's pupils and other vital signs can be assessed, the neurologist is able to evaluate the patient's condition, make a prompt diagnosis and recommend treatment quickly.
Patients will benefit from the knowledge of board-certified neurologists who are experienced in the evaluation of acute stroke patients and the administration of r-TPA, a clot-dissolving medication used to treat stroke symptoms.