New ischemic stroke treatment

DENVER, CO – The Swedish Medical Center will be the first in Colorado to offer a new device, Penumbra Inc.’s MAX System of Reperfusion Catheters, for ischemic stroke patients that will make treatment faster and more efficient.

Ischemic strokes are caused by a blood clot or embolism that stops blood flow to the brain. In the U.S., ischemic strokes are the fourth leading cause of death, occuring every 40 seconds. The procedure using the MAX System can open blood vessels of an ischemic stroke patient within eight hours of symptom onset. The Swedish Medical Center uses the MAX System in conjunction with intravenous clot-busting drug, t-PA or when those drugs can't be used.

The system represents a significant advancement in stroke treatment, bringing urgent and needed relief to a large population of stroke patients, said Swedish Medical Don Frei, M.D.

"The ability to quickly and easily treat patients with a 4MAX catheter over a standard guidewire gives us more time to concentrate on treating the stroke. And we know that time is of the essence when treating strokes. This new device also allows us to remove the clot more efficiently. It has become the front line device for stroke patients at Swedish Medical Center," Dr Frei, who is the Center's Neurointerventional radiologist.