Stroke Center

Gabor Toth, MD describes when Mechanical Thrombectomy is used to treat a patient who has stroke symptoms.

Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center

On average, someone in the United States suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot – called an ischemic stroke (accounts for ~87% of all strokes) or a ruptured blood vessel – called a hemorrhagic stroke (accounts for ~13% of all strokes). While not classified as a stroke, a transient ischemia attack (TIA) is a temporary episode that produces symptoms of a stroke which disappear after a short time. TIAs are strong indicators of a possible major stroke.

With stroke, time is brain and immediate treatment to restore blood flow is crucial. Cleveland Clinic Akron General offers two types of treatment for stroke:

Tissue plasminogen activator-tPA (alteplase) – an FDA-approved medication to treat ischemic stroke which is administered through a vein. This drug is often called a “clot busting” medication, and is administered to ischemic stroke patients who meet eligibility criteria and arrive at the hospital within 0-4.5 hours of the symptom onset.
Mechanical thrombectomy – a minimally invasive clot retrieval method that involves inserting a very small catheter through an artery until the blocked blood vessel is reached, a small stent retriever is deployed, the clot is captured and removed, and blood flow is restored to the brain.

Stroke Center Certification

The Joint Commission Gold Seal | Cleveland Clinic

Akron General has been designated a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. Obtaining this certification signifies that Akron General has undergone an extensive onsite evaluation and meets strict national stroke care standards as required by The Joint Commission.

Earning this recognition demonstrates that Akron General’s stroke program follows national guidelines regarding quality and patient safety, which can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients. Utilizing advanced technology and innovative treatment options, Akron General’s specially-trained stroke team provides an expert level of comprehensive care, diagnosing and treating patients quickly and significantly improving health and recovery time.

In 2022, Akron General received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get with the Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. This achievement recognizes Akron General’s commitment and success in implementing the highest standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

Telestroke

Because the key to treating a stroke is immediate medical attention, TeleStroke is a program that connects smaller or rural community hospitals to neurologists at Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s Neuroscience Institute, allowing patients to receive the highest level of care, close to home. Our neurologists are board certified and highly trained in evaluating and treating acute neurological conditions such as strokes.

When a patient presents in a partnering Emergency Department with stroke-like symptoms, emergency providers perform the necessary diagnostic tests, but they also work with Akron General neurologists via real-time, video computer conferencing for a complete patient evaluation. By providing patients with quick access to this type of specialized evaluation, patients receive timely treatment close to home, reduce the need for travel and receive high quality, specialized care to minimize the effects of the stroke.

Outcomes

A grading system is used to measure how well blood flow is restored following mechanical thrombectomy treatment. This is called a thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) score. Scoring is defined as follows:

Grade 3 – Complete restoration of blood flow in the brain
Grade 2b – Complete restoration of blood flow, but slower than normal
Grade 2a – Partial restoration of blood flow to the brain
Grade 1 – Minimal restoration of blood flow to the brain
Grade 0 – No restoration of blood for to the brain

TICI 2b and TICI 3 are considered successful treatments for restoring blood flow in the brain. At Akron General, 90.2% of patients (Jan. 2020 – May 2021) who received thrombectomy treatment for stroke achieved a grade of TICI 2b or 3 compared to 76% of patients studied nationally in a recent clinical trial.

Our Doctors

Learn more about the stroke specialists at Akron General.

Appointments

Patients who have suffered a stroke can receive follow-up care from a neurologist at Akron General. To schedule an appointment, call 330.344.8523.

Resources

Akron General reminds you that in a stroke every minute counts. If you think someone is having a stroke dial 9-1-1 immediately and remember the BE FAST method to evaluate whether someone may be having a stroke:

Balance: Watch for a sudden loss of balance.
Eyes: Is there a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes? Or double vision?
Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

To learn more about stroke and stroke services available through Cleveland Clinic, review our resources:

Overview