An award-winning cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. David Greuner guides NYC Surgical Associates in New York City. In his practice, Dr. David Greuner specializes in minimally invasive surgical techniques, particularly endovascular therapy.
Commonly used in the cardiovascular surgery field, endovascular therapy greatly reduces the need for invasive surgeries by treating conditions from within the blood vessel with catheter placement. For example, one of the best-known forms of endovascular therapy is an angioplasty in which the surgeon uses a balloon attached to a catheter to widen arteries clogged with plaque.
Recent research indicates that endovascular therapy may also play a critical role in treating stroke patients. In particular, an endovascular thrombectomy, which involves using a catheter to remove a blood clot from the brain, can be especially effective when performed in a timely fashion.
According to a study discussed at the International Stroke Conference, the outcome for individuals hospitalized with strokes is greatly improved for those who receive timely endovascular thrombectomies as compared with those who receive standard medical treatment. The new data indicates that the treatment window for this kind of stroke treatment might be as wide as 24 hours, far larger than previously thought. These findings build upon a meta-study reported in 2016 in The BMJ, which analyzed several studies related to endovascular therapy and stroke patients.
