Stroke : A stroke is a condition in which the brain cells suddenly die because of a lack of oxygen. A stroke can be caused by an obstruction in the blood flow, or the rupture of an artery that feeds the brain. The patient may suddenly lose the ability to speak, there may be memory problems, or one side of the body can become paralyzed.1 Types of stroke The two main types of stroke include ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke Ischemic stroke accounts for about 87 percent of all strokes and occurs when a blood clot, or thrombus, forms that blocks blood flow to part of the brain. If a blood clot forms somewhere in the body and breaks off to become free-floating, it is called an embolus. This wandering clot may be carried through the bloodstream to the brain where it can cause ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel on the brain's surface ruptures and fills the space between the brain and skull with blood (subarachnoid hemorrhage) or when a defective artery in the brain bursts and fills the surrounding tissue with blood (cerebral hemorrhage). Both types of stroke result in a lack of blood flow to the brain and a buildup of blood that puts too much pressure on the brain. Symptoms Within a few minutes of having a stroke brain cells begin to die and symptoms emerge. It is important to recognize the symptoms, as prompt treatment is crucial to recovery. Common symptoms include: ? Trouble walking, loss of balance and coordination. ? Speech problems. ? Dizziness. ? Numbness, weakness, or paralysis. ? Blurred, blackened, or double vision. ? Sudden severe headache. ? Confusion. Treatment The primary goal in treating ischemic stroke is to restore blood flow to the brain. This will be attempted using a blood clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). A doctor will inject tPA into the patient's arm. If for some reason the patient can't receive the tPA then an anti-platelet medicine will be used instead. In addition, surgical procedures may be performed that can open up or widen arteries. These include carotid endarterectomy (removal of plaque and widening of the carotid artery) and angioplasty (a balloon that widens the carotid artery and is held open with a metallic mesh tube called a stent). Hemorrhagic stroke is treated differently than ischmic stroke. Surgical methods used to treat this stroke variant include aneurysm clipping, aneurysm embolisation, and arteriovenous malformation (AVM) removal. Aneurysm clipping consists of a small clamp placed at the base of the aneurysm that isolates it from the circulation of it's attached artery and keeps the aneurysm from bursting or re-bleeding. Aneurysm embolisation (coiling) uses a catheter inserted into the aneurysm to deposit a tiny coil that fills the aneurysm, causing clotting and sealing off the aneurysm off from arteries. AVM removal is a surgical procedure to remove usually smaller AVMs or AMVs that are in more accessible portions of the brain in order to eliminate the risk of rupture.


Stroke : A stroke is a condition in which the brain cells suddenly die because of a lack of oxygen. A stroke can be caused by an obstruction in the blood flow, or the rupture of an artery that feeds the brain. The patient may suddenly lose the ability to speak, there may be memory problems, or one side of the body can become paralyzed.1 Types of stroke The two main types of stroke include ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke Ischemic stroke accounts for about 87 percent of all strokes and occurs when a blood clot, or thrombus, forms that blocks blood flow to part of the brain. If a blood clot forms somewhere in the body and breaks off to become free-floating, it is called an embolus. This wandering clot may be carried through the bloodstream to the brain where it can cause ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel on the brain's surface ruptures and fills the space between the brain and skull with blood (subarachnoid hemorrhage) or when a defective artery in the brain bursts and fills the surrounding tissue with blood (cerebral hemorrhage). Both types of stroke result in a lack of blood flow to the brain and a buildup of blood that puts too much pressure on the brain. Symptoms Within a few minutes of having a stroke brain cells begin to die and symptoms emerge. It is important to recognize the symptoms, as prompt treatment is crucial to recovery. Common symptoms include: ? Trouble walking, loss of balance and coordination. ? Speech problems. ? Dizziness. ? Numbness, weakness, or paralysis. ? Blurred, blackened, or double vision. ? Sudden severe headache. ? Confusion. Treatment The primary goal in treating ischemic stroke is to restore blood flow to the brain. This will be attempted using a blood clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). A doctor will inject tPA into the patient's arm. If for some reason the patient can't receive the tPA then an anti-platelet medicine will be used instead. In addition, surgical procedures may be performed that can open up or widen arteries. These include carotid endarterectomy (removal of plaque and widening of the carotid artery) and angioplasty (a balloon that widens the carotid artery and is held open with a metallic mesh tube called a stent). Hemorrhagic stroke is treated differently than ischmic stroke. Surgical methods used to treat this stroke variant include aneurysm clipping, aneurysm embolisation, and arteriovenous malformation (AVM) removal. Aneurysm clipping consists of a small clamp placed at the base of the aneurysm that isolates it from the circulation of it's attached artery and keeps the aneurysm from bursting or re-bleeding. Aneurysm embolisation (coiling) uses a catheter inserted into the aneurysm to deposit a tiny coil that fills the aneurysm, causing clotting and sealing off the aneurysm off from arteries. AVM removal is a surgical procedure to remove usually smaller AVMs or AMVs that are in more accessible portions of the brain in order to eliminate the risk of rupture.