New Frontiers in Stroke Therapy at CJW Neuroscience & Gamma Knife Center's Neurovascular Lab

July 16, 2007 Richmond, VA: Dr. Efstathios Spinos, neurointerventional radiologist at CJW, is the first physician in the Richmond area to place Boston Scientific's Wingspan Stent System into a patient's artery in the brain. The Wingspan stent opens blocked arteries and quickly restores blood flow to brain tissue which assists in prevention of further strokes. CJW is one of only three Medical Centers across Virginia that has performed this procedure.

"My patient, who had 4 strokes while on medication, had a blocked artery in the brain. She did not have a clot which could possibly have been dissolved with thrombolytics.  Instead she had intracranial arterial disease (ICAD) or narrowing of the vessels. She was continuing to have new stroke symptoms and without intervention, her intracranial arterial disease would surely have led to disastrous results, and further massive brain tissue death,” said Dr. Spinos.

Blockages in the delicate blood vessels within the brain are much more prone to rupture and are most often treated with medicine. If medications fail, these patients had no other effective or safe alternative until this procedure was developed

As the only Neurointerventional Radiologist and physician in Richmond approved to perform this procedure, Dr. Spinos threaded a catheter from the groin up to the narrowed vessel in the brain. A balloon was inserted to partially open the artery, and then a stent was put in place to keep the vessel open. Stenting in other areas of the body is commonplace these days. Not so in the brain. This requires knowledge of the brain vessels, their ability to be manipulated, experience, technique, training and patience. The facility must also have the right equipment to visualize the brain vessels and their configuration, specially designed stents and a great team of support staff.

The Wingspan stent is especially designed for the delicate, tapered and curved vessels of the brain. The patient has had no new recurrent symptoms of stroke since the procedure.