New Delhi: In India, approximately 1.18 million individuals experience a stroke every year, yet less than 0.1% receive thrombectomy treatment due to a lack of awareness and geographical barriers. Medtronic unveiled preliminary data from India’s largest study on mechanical thrombectomy at the World Stroke Congress 2024 in Abu Dhabi. Mechanical thrombectomy is a procedure that removes blood clots from the brain in patients suffering from severe strokes.
This is the first large-scale study of its kind in India, tracking outcomes at 14 centers over 24 months, with 200 patients included in a prospective registry to assess acute ischemic stroke patients treated with stroke devices.
The study confirmed that mechanical thrombectomy is a safe and effective treatment for stroke patients in India, successfully restoring blood flow in 87.4 per cent of cases, and leaving 65.8 per cent of patients with little or no disability 90 days after treatment. The study also established that thrombectomy, either alone or combined with the clot-dissolving drug IV-tPA, was more cost-effective than using IV-tPA alone.
Mandeep Singh Kumar, Vice President and Managing Director, Medtronic India, stated, “Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in India, making it one of the top non-communicable diseases in the country.” Kumar further explained, “PRAAN is a first-of-its-kind multi-center prospective stroke clinical registry in India tracking and reporting on mechanical thrombectomy.”
Dr Mathew Cherian, Head of Interventional Radiology at KMCH, Coimbatore, emphasized that a blockage in the brain’s blood vessels can lead to permanent disability or even death.
Dr Vikram Huded, Director of the Interventional Neurology Program,Narayana Health, Bengaluru,said, “This treatment restores mobility and aids in life rehabilitation.” He continued, “Stroke is a medical emergency for millions, and mechanical thrombectomy has proven to be revolutionary, extending the treatment window to up to 24 hours from the onset of stroke symptoms.”
