The interventional neurologists of the Manipal Hospital have conducted two delicate radiology procedures in which a stent was placed in the highly deep-seated Left Middle Cerebral Artery and put coils to close an aneurysm on the Basilar Artery, both in the brain.
People of the coastal districts had to run to Hyderabad or Chennai to get their interventional neurological procedures. While several such cardiology centres have come up in the coastal districts, there are very few centres where interventional neurology — stenting of blood vessels in the brain —are available.
Interventional neurologist Sudheer Chakravarthi said the conventional method involved the opening of the skull to clip the abnormal blood vessel. It had several disadvantages like longer hospitalisation and observation. The patients often required to be put on a ventilator. But there was no need for ventilation when the patient undergoes a minimally invasive procedure. Sometimes there was no need for anaesthesia too, Dr. Sudheer said.
In case one, Pawan, 40, a diabetic suffered a stroke due to critical narrowing of the Left Middle Cerebral Artery. His life would have been in danger if no remedial steps were taken. A stent was placed in the diseased artery to “recanalise” it, Dr Sudheer said. The patient underwent the procedure while he was conscious and went home after three days, he said.
In the second case, P. Padmavati, 50, developed an aneurysm (abnormal ballooning of the blood vessel) in the Basilar Artery. The walls of the blood vessel at the aneurysm were distended and thin and vulnerable to rupture, Dr. Sudheer explained. This was a life-threatening situation. The rupture of the aneurysm would mean imminent death. The interventional neurologists introduced metallic (platinum alloy) coils into the aneurysm. “The coils will cause the blood in the aneurysm to clot reducing the risk of rupture, Dr. Sudheer said.
Putting a stent in the deep-seated Left Middle Cerebral Artery is extremely delicate and the placing of coils in the Basilar Artery was also highly risky, Manipal Vijayawada unit head Sudhakar Kantipudi said.
