A new clinical study led in part by doctors from Gates Vascular Institute will revolutionize stroke treatment across the world, creating a dramatic impact on survival rates and patient recovery, those researchers said today.
The $50 million international clinical trial studied patients who suffered “ischemic” strokes, which account for 87 percent of all stroke cases.
“This trial establishes a whole new standard of care for treating ischemic strokes,” said Dr. Elad I. Levy (above, left), co-director of the Gates Stroke Center at Kaleida Health. “It restores blood flow to the brain far faster and provides the patient the absolute best chance for a positive outcome.”
Researchers say that the trial clearly showed that the use of an intravenous clot-busting protein, when combined with the insertion of a wire-mesh stent device, improved a patient’s chance for surviving and returning to a normal life.
“This was a ground-breaking study that will have an immense impact on the lives of patients who’ve experienced an acute ischemic stroke,” stated Dr. Adnan Siddiqui, professor and vice chairman of neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo. “The findings were definitive.
The trial followed 196 patients in 36 neuroscience programs across the United States and Europe.
Levy served as the trial’s principal investigator in the U.S., while Siddiqui was the Gates Vascular Institute’s main investigator for the trial.
The results were unveiled during a morning press conference at the Gates Vascular Institute.