At SSM DePaul, our team of physicians, nurses and other specialists are dedicated to preventing, diagnosing and treating strokes, applying the latest technology and medications to provide our patients with top quality care.

What is a Stroke?
The American Stroke Association estimates that over 700,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke each year. It’s the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. A stroke happens when a blood vessel (artery) that supplies blood to the brain leaks, bursts or is blocked by a blood clot. Within an hour, the nerve cells in that area of the brain become damaged and die. As a result, the part of the body controlled by the damaged area of the brain cannot work properly.

Types of Stroke

• Ischemic Stroke - The most common type of stroke, accounting for almost 80% of all strokes, is caused by a clot or other blockage within an artery leading to the brain.
• Intracerebral Hemorrhage - This type of stroke is caused by the sudden rupture of an artery within the brain. Blood is then released into the brain, compressing brain structures.
• Subarachnoid Hemorrhage – This type of stroke is caused by the sudden rupture of an artery. A subarachnoid hemorrhage differs from an intracerebral hemorrhage in that the location of the rupture leads to blood filling the space surrounding the brain rather than inside of it.
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA) – A TIA is often referred to as a mini-stroke because the symptoms are like those of a stroke but do not lat as long. A TIA happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or reduced, often by a blood clot. After a short time, blood flows again and the symptoms go away. With a stroke, the blood flow stays blocked and the brain has permanent damage. A TIA is a warning. It means you are likely to have a stroke in the future and need immediate emergency care to try and prevent it.

Risk Factors
There are things you can do to help prevent stroke. High blood pressure increases your risk of stroke four to six times. Heart disease, especially a condition known as atrial fibrillation or AF, can double your risk of stroke. Your risk also increases if you smoke, have diabetes, sickle cell disease, high cholesterol, or a family history of stroke.

Symptoms
A person having symptoms of a stroke needs immediate emergency care.. The sooner medical treatment begins, the fewer brain cells that are damaged.

The symptoms of a stroke may range from mild to severe and may be temporary or permanent and include:

• Numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg
• Vision problems such as dimness, blurring, double vision
• Confusion or trouble speaking
• Trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance
• Severe headache with no known cause
• Coma or death

Diagnosis
The first and most important test after a stroke is a cerebral computed tomography (CT) scan (should be linked to definition on diagnosis page), which is a series of X-rays of your brain that can identify whether there is bleeding. This test will help your doctor diagnose whether the stroke is ischemic or hemorrhagic. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (should be linked to definition on diagnosis page) may also be done to determine the amount of damage to the brain and help predict recovery.

If your doctor believes the stroke may have been caused by a problem with your heart, an echocardiogram or Holter monitoring or telemetry test may be done.

Treatment
People who have symptoms of a stroke need to seek emergency medical care. Prompt medical attention may prevent life-threatening complications and more widespread brain damage and is critical for the best recovery. Treatment may include medication or surgery and is based on the type of stroke and the seriousness of the symptoms.

Initial treatment focuses on restoring blood flow (ischemic stroke) or controlling bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke). As with a heart attack, permanent damage from a stroke often develops within the first few hours. The quicker you receive treatment, the less damage will occur.

Surgery is not recommended as part of the initial or emergency treatment for ischemic stroke. But depending on your health condition, the type and severity of the stroke, surgical options may include:

• Carotid Endarterectomy to remove plaque buildup in the carotid arteries in people with moderate to severe narrowing of the carotid arteries. This surgery can help prevent additional strokes.
• Surgery to drain or remove blood in or around the brain that was caused by a bleeding blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke).
• Endovascular Coil Embolization surgery to repair a brain aneurysm that is the cause of a hemorrhagic stroke. A small coil is inserted into the aneurysm to block it off. Whether this surgery can be done depends on the location of the aneurysm, its size, and whether you are healthy enough to withstand the procedure.
• Surgery to repair abnormally formed blood vessels (arteriovenous malformations) that have caused bleeding in the brain.