A new, pilot mechanical thrombectomy service for stroke patients in the East of Scotland has been launched today.
The pilot will be based at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and will help pave the way for an eventual national service set to benefit hundreds of people who have been struck with a life-threatening stroke.
John Watson, Associate Director of the Stroke Association in Scotland said: “This service is long awaited, overdue, but very welcome indeed.
“Thrombectomy is a remarkable procedure. It involves inserting a long tube into an artery in the leg, which is then fed through the body to reach the blood clot in the brain. The blood clot is then captured in a mesh and pulled out.
“The removal of the clot allows blood flow to resume and oxygen to reach the brain, halting the damaging effects of the stroke. These are blood clots which are too big to be broken down by clot-busting drugs and are usually associated with severe strokes and the worst outcomes for patients.
“Around one in every three people who receive a thrombectomy following their stroke will be less disabled as a result. Around one in five will be able to function completely independently afterwards.
“Thrombectomy has the power to save lives and reduce disability for around one in every ten people who have a stroke.
“The Edinburgh-based pilot is an important milestone on the road to a national 24/7 thrombectomy service for Scotland. A pilot service for the North of Scotland based in Dundee, has been underway since November last year, and we look forward to a third thrombectomy centre in Glasgow coming online next year.”
In addition to improving quality of life, thrombectomy generates substantial savings for the NHS by reducing the need for other interventions or care in the future. Research indicates that, on average, every thrombectomy procedure saves the NHS £47, 000 over a 5-year period.
A stroke is a brain attack. The effects can be devastating. Stroke is a leading cause of severe adult disability. Almost two thirds of survivors leave hospital with a disability. Many have problems with speech and communication, thinking and vision. It can also affect peoples’ emotions and personality.
Alison Maclean, 72, from Dundee had her stroke just before lockdown in January 2020. It was a massive stroke that could have taken away her independence, but following a thrombectomy, she regained full function and has gone back to the life she had before her stroke, almost unchanged.
Angela said: “I am back to doing all the things I did before my stroke: seeing friends and family, reading, watching telly, going on my exercise bike and for walks.”
See foot of article for Angela’s story
John continued: “We want all eligible patients to have access to this game-changing treatment, as quickly as possible. But thrombectomy cannot deliver in isolation. It needs to be part of a new, re-shaped service covering the whole pathway from 999 call, to hospital treatment, recovery and rehabilitation.
“The Scottish Government recognises the need for stroke improvements, which is extremely encouraging. It already has a draft framework of what its own advisors, stroke clinicians and the wider stroke community including the Stroke Association want to see. This is the result of good work by all involved.
“We look forward to seeing the final report and recommendations at the end of the year. But of course, it is the delivery of change and improvement that really matters so we look forward even more, to a commitment early next year to publish a plan to deliver on it.”
Alison Maclean’s stroke story of receiving a thrombectomy
Alison Maclean, 72, from Dundee had her stroke during lockdown in January 2021. It was a massive stroke and she received a thrombectomy resulting in enormous success. The stroke could otherwise have left Alison unable to talk or walk.
I had an accidental fall on 21 Jan 2021. I rang NHS24 in complete agony. Two days later I was in hospital getting it checked out.
I had a fractured femur which was put in a plaster-cast and an operation was planned on 26th Jan 2021. On the morning of my operation, I suddenly developed left sided weakness, vision difficulties and problems speaking.
The doctor in the orthopaedic ward called for help. I don’t remember very much other than being asked to lift my arm and lift my leg and answer questions.
I thought I was ok, but the next thing I remember is the doctor telling me that he thought I might have had a stroke. I believe I was rushed in to a room to get a brain scan following which I underwent a thrombectomy. Apparently some blood had leaked from my femur bone causing a clot thereafter the stroke.
The next thing I remember was being in ICU. A nurse came up to me and told me that I’d had a stroke and had just received a procedure to remove a blood clot to help with my recovery.
I was quite relaxed about being told about the fact that I’d had a stroke, but my son called me and he was very distressed about it. I guess he had had to deal with the stress of seeing his Mum in a life-threatening situation making decisions on my behalf. I was unaware of how ill I was at the time, so there are big gaps in my recollection of what happened.
I felt fine following the procedure and apart from my hand shaking uncontrollably for the first day, everything else seemed normal. I was discharged on 2 February 2021. I feel great, just the same and I am back to doing all the things I did before my stroke: seeing friends and family, reading, watching telly, going on my exercise bike and for walks.
Lockdown has been absolutely fine. I’ve been in a bubble, so have had some company and when lockdown eased briefly last summer, I met a few friends and we’d have a cup of tea and biscuit together.
I am very positive about thrombectomy and the fact it probably saved my life. It should be available to everyone who needs it. My life is back to normal and that may never have happened if I had not received a thrombectomy.
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