MAY IS NATIONAL STROKE AWARENESS MONTH.
NEARLY 65,000 PEOPLE IN THE U.S. WILL SUFFER A STROKE THIS MONTH
ALONE, MAKING IT THE LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY AND THE
FIFTH CAUSE OF DEATH IN AMERICA.
BUT DESPITE THESE STARTLING NUMBERS, THERE IS GOOD NEWS.
MOST STROKES CAN BE PREVENTED IF YOU KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS AND
ACT FAST.
HERE TO SHARE MORE ABOUT STROKE PREVENTION AND SURVIVAL ARE
DR.
DILEEP YAVAGAL, INTERVENTIONAL NEUROLOGIST WITH
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HEALTH SYSTEM.
AND HIS PATIENT -- A STROKE SURVIVOR HERSELF -- ISABEL
SULLIVAN.
THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
SO, DOCTOR, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT A STROKE DOES TO YOUR BODY.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
STROKE IS A SUDDEN EVENT IN THE BLOOD VESSELS OF YOUR BRAIN.
TWO TYPES.
THE MOST IS SUDDEN BLOCKAGE THAT OCCURS.
THIS IS THE CASE IN ABOUT 85% OF ALL STROKES.
THE BLOOD FLOW IS CUT OFF.
THE OTHER TYPE IS A BLEEDING KIND OF STROKE THAT IS ABOUT 15%
AND SMALL PORTION THAT HAVE IS FROM ANEURYSM, IS THAT BLEED.
MOST COMMON TYPE OF STROKE NOW HAS NEW TREATMENTS THAT CAN
ACTUALLY REVERSE THE DAMAGE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER THAT IS SO IMPORTANT IS
NOTICING THAT THESE SYMPTOMS ARE SUDDEN.
ONE MOMENT YOU'RE FINE THEN THE NEXT ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU CAN'T
SPEAK OR YOU HAVE NUMBNESS OR SOME SORT OF PARALYSIS, CORRECT?
THAT IS CORRECT.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NEXT?
OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY WHO IS DEBILITATING BECAUSE YOU'RE
THE STROKE VICTIM, WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED TO DO TO GET YOU
THAT HELP QUICK?
THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE WANT TO CONVEY IS
THAT TIME IS GOLD.
IF THE PERSON NEAR YOU OR IF YOU'RE CAPABLE OF RECOGNIZING IT
YOURSELF HAS SUDDEN LOSS OF BALANCE, SUDDEN VISION
DIFFICULTY, SUDDEN FACE DROOPING, SUDDEN ARM WEAKNESS OR
SUDDEN SLURRING OF SPEECH THEN IT'S TIME TO CALL 911.
THAT IS A NICE ACRONYM.
BE FAST.
BIG PROBLEM OF STROKE IS PAINLESS.
THE NATURAL REACTION A LOT OF THE TIME IS TO WAIT IT OUT OR
SLEEP IT OUT.
BUT IF YOU SEE "BE FAST" YOU HAVE TO BE FAST.
THE EMS IS NOW EXTREMELY WELL TRAINED TO RECOGNIZE A STROKE
BECAUSE WE CAN DO SO MUCH ABOUT IT AND REVERSE THE SYMPTOMS.
DO IT MORE QUICKLY THAN BEFORE.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, TIME HAS CHANGED FROM THE SIX HOURS
OUT OF 24 HOURS.
I WANT TO BRING ISABELLE IN HERE.
YOU'RE SO YOUNG, ONLY 29 YEARS OLD YOU HAD YOUR STROKE WHEN HE
WAS 26.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WALK US THROUGH WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH YOU?
SO, I WAS AT THE -- I ATE HEALTHY, LOW BLOOD PRESSURE WHO
IS THE OPPOSITE OF MOST STROKE CASES, SUDDENLY ONE MORNING LIKE
HE SAID, IT HAPPENED VERY SUDDENLY.
I WENT TO GO THROW SOMETHING IN THE TRASH I HAD ALL THE SY
SYMPTOMS.
I LOST BALANCE, MY EYE VISION GOT BLURRY, MY ARM, WHOLE RIGHT
SIDE WAS PARALYZED, MY FACE DROOPED AND I COULDN'T TALK.
MY BOYFRIEND AT THE TIME WHO IS NOW MY HUSBAND RECOGNIZED THE
SYMPTOMS, CALLED MY MOTHER-IN-LAW SHE URGED HIM TO
CALL 911 HE DID.
THAT IS WHAT SAVED MY LIFE.
HAD TO BE SO FRIGHTENED WHEN THAT WAS HAPPENING WITH YOU.
ACTUALLY, IT WASN'T.
MY NATURAL REACTION WAS TO LAUGH.
I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING.
THAT'S WHY MY BOYFRIEND WAS SO CONFUSED.
I TOLD HIM, I WANTED TO TAKE A NAP.
SO HE -- IT'S SCARY FOR OTHER PEOPLE I THINK FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL THAT UNDERGOING THE STROKE IT'S NOT THAT FR
FRIGHTENING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAD MIRACULOUS RECOVERY I'M VERY EFFORT ARE THE
NATURAL.
YOU WERE RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL.
THAT'S WHERE YOU COME IN.
TAKE US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
SO THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO REALLY HELP SOMEONE
LIKE ISABELLE MAKE A FULL RECOVERY IF WE CAN GET TO HER IN
TIME.
WE CALL IT THE STROKE CHAIN OF SURVIVAL OR STROKE PROTOCOL.
EMS RECOGNIZED THAT SHE WAS HAVING A STROKE RIGHT AWAY
BROUGHT HER TO THE NEAREST COMPREHENSIVE STROKE CENTER
WHICH WAS JACKSON MEMORIAL, AND THEY BRING THEM WE GET
PRENOTIFIED.
WE MET HER AT THE BAY AND EVEN DID NOT LET HER GO TO THE E.R.
BED WE TAKE THEM STRAIGHT TO THE DOCTOR T SCANNER.
WE SAW THE -- THERE WAS NO BLEEDING BECAUSE THIS TREATMENT
THAT IS NEW IS FOR THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF STROKES THAT IS A
BLOCKAGE.
WE SAW THE BLOCKAGE, I RUSHED HER TO THE SUITE WHICH IS THE
OPERATING ROOM FOR THIS NEW PROCEDURE CALLED MECHANICAL --
WHAT IS THIS WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT HERE.
SAYS BEFORE AND AFTER.
THIS -- THAT'S THE CLOT THAT'S BLOCKING HER ARTERY.
IT'S NOT THE CLOT THAT YOU THINK OF AS BLEED IN THE BRAIN,
ACTUALLY THE CLOT INSIDE THE ARTERY, THE WHITE STRAIGHT, THAT
IS WHERE THE BLOCKAGE IS IN THE BLOOD VESSEL GOING TO THE LEFT
SIDE OF HER BRAIN.
AND WE SAW THAT AND WE DO A TEST CALLED CT ANGIOGRAM TO PROVE IT.
THIS WAS SO OBVIOUS THAT WE RUSHED HER WITHOUT EVEN DOING
THAT BECAUSE EVEN MINUTES CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
SO WE SHAVED OFF THOSE MINUTES, BROUGHT HER TO THE ANGIOGRAPHY
SUITE.
WE GO FROM THE GROIN, BECAUSE WE WANT TO INTER THE ARTERIAL
HIGHWAY THROUGH THE GROIN AR ARTERY.
IN THE SUITE WE USED A ADVANCED NAVIGATION TO BRING UP MICRO
CATHETERS WHO ARE 27,000 OF AN INCH.
WE TAKE THEM ALL THE WAY TO THE BLOCKAGE.
THAT'S AMAZING.
THAT ALLOWS -- 'S THE WIRE GOING THROUGH
THE CLOT IN THE ARTERY, THE WHITE THAT YOU SAW IN THE C.A.T.
SCAN THEN WE BRING UP THE MICRO CATHETER WHICH THEN ALLOWS US TO
BRING UP THE DEVICE, ONE YOU'RE SEEING IS CALLED A STENT
RETRIEVER THAT ACTS AS A FISHING HOOK TO ENGAGE THAT CLOT THAT'S
BLOCKING THE ARTERY.
ONCE WE WAIT FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, THE CLOT IS ENGAGED.
THEN WE START BRINGING THE DEVICE AND CLOT OUT OF THE
ARTERY.
WE BRING IT ALL THE WAY OUT THROUGH THE GROIN AND RESTORE
BLOOD FLOW.
THAT'S AMAZING.
THAT FIVE MINUTE PERIOD, THE BLOOD FLOW HASN'T BEEN RESTORED.
ACTUALLY, IT GETS RESTORED BECAUSE THE DEVICE PUSHES THE
CLOT AWAY.
NOTICE IN THE ANIMATION WE SEE BLOOD FLOWING.
THE BLOOD IS ALREADY FLOWING.
WALK US THROUGH TIME.
BECAUSE IT USED TO BE THAT YOU HAD TO -- IF SOMEBODY WAS HAVING
A STROKE THEY HAD REALLY SHORT WINDOW OF ABOUT SIX HOURS.
THEN AFTER THAT, YOU WERE SAYING THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CULTURES OR
THEORY OF THOUGHT THAT, YOU HAD A STROKE, THAT'S IT.
NO PROFFER RE.
BUT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S EVEN BEYOND THAT.
NOW GO TO 24 HOURS, CORRECT?
BECAUSE OF THIS NEW PROCEDURE.
CORRECT.
IN 1995, THE CLOT BUSTING MEDICATION WAS PROVEN TO HELP
STROKE.
BUT ONLY UP TO THREE AND A HALF HOURS.
THREE AND A HALF HOURS IS REALLY SHORT TIME AS YOU WOULD AGREE,
THAT GOT EXTENDED TO SIX HOURS IN 2015.
IT TOOK ALMOST 20 YEARS TO GET SOMETHING THAT EXTENDED THAT
WINDOW.
THAT WAS THE PROCEDURE CALLED MECHANICAL THROMBECTOMY WHICH
YOU SAW.
WE DID NOT SEE HOW WE COULD GO BEYOND SIX HOURS BECAUSE A LOT
OF THE BRAIN TISSUE DIES.
JUST IN 2018 THAT EXTENDED FOUR TIMES TO 24 HOURS BECAUSE IN A
CLINICAL TRIALS THAT WE PARTICIPATED AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF MIAMI WE PROVED THAT IF YOU USE A SPECIAL TYPE OF CT SCAN
CALLED CT PROFUSION, THAT SCAN CAN IDENTIFY BRAIN THAT CAN
STILL BE SAVED EVEN BEYOND SIX HOURS.
AND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PATIENTS, ESPECIALLY ONES WHO
WAKE UP WITH STROKE CAN HAVE A LOT OF BRAIN THAT CAN BE SAVED
BY THIS PROCEDURE.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE IT WHILE THEY'RE SLEEPING.
ISABELLE, I KNOW YOU'VE ALSO SORT OF MENTORING PEOPLE WHO
HAVE HAD STROKES, RIGHT?
WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM?
THE FIRST THING -- MY FIRST INITIATIVE TO PREPARE PREVENT
STROKES.
THE BE FAST, BE AWARE, KNOW THE SYMPTOMS, TO TELL EVERYONE YOU
KNOW ABOUT SYMPTOMS, SPREAD THIS AWARENESS THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF
THE SHOW TODAY.
FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE UNDERGONE STROKE, I TELL THEM TO STAY IN
THEIR RECOVERY, REHABILITATION YOU DO SEE RESULTS MAY TAKE
AWHILE BUT YOU WILL GET L. ANY KIND OF IMPROVEMENT IS A BIG
IMPROVEMENT.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
I'M DOING GREAT.
I ACTUALLY FEEL PHENOMENAL.
I STILL WORK OUT.
I STILL EAT HEALTHY, I LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE I'M ABLE TO
WALK AND DRIVE AND DO ALL THE THINGS I WAS DOING BEFORE THE
STROKE.
AS I SAID MY CASE IS A MIRACLE, NOT EVERYONE IS AS FORTUNATE AS
I AM.
THERE IS A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT.
I THINK THAT FOR ALL STROKE SURVIVORS WE'RE ALL HERE FOR
YOU, WE'RE A BIG COMMUNITY, THERE'S A LOT OF LOVE AND TRUST
BETWEEN US ALL.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
STROKE AWARENESS MONTH.
MAY HAVE SAVED SOME LIVES TODAY BY EDUCATING PEOPLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU'RE WELCOME.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON STROKE WARNING SIGNS AND
PREVENTION, VISIT STROKEASSOCIATION.ORG.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE THIS INFO AND MORE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE,
@YOURSOUTHFL.