KARACHI: The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Karachi performed its first intervention to prevent stroke in a 48-year-old female, who came in with a right-sided stroke,
The procedure was led by Prof. Dr Irfan Lutfi, an Interventional Radiologist at NICVD and his team.
“The procedures were performed successfully without any complications. The patient, Ms Sofia, aged 48 years, was rushed to the NICVD Emergency Department with a history of RT side weakness, facial asymmetry and dysarthria for the last half an hour. We did a CT scan to rule ICH, and then is followed by a CT angiogram to confirm large vessel occlusion there was cut off at the left M1 segment MCA” said Dr Irfan Lutfi.
“After diagnosis, the patient was declared as an intervention candidate and taken to Cath Lab. We performed a procedure known as Aspiration Thrombectomy. The patient clinically improved after the procedure and mobilized with full power.” he explained.
“The first six hours are of the utmost importance; blood clotting is removed from the brain, thus providing timely medical help. The patient is protected from many complications,” Dr Lutfi clarified.
He said it was alarming that Pakistan’s second major cause of death is a stroke, primarily due to a lack of proper awareness. Now thousands of patients will benefit from the “Interventional Stroke Treatment” made accessible to them through the NICVD's Free Of Cost initiative.
Prof Nadeem Qamar, the Executive Director at NICVD, congratulated the team and said that the NICVD had achieved a significant breakthrough by introducing catheter-based stroke treatment accessible to citizens.
“NICVD has become the first Public Sector Cardiac Center of Sindh to have performed emergency brain stroke intervention on a patient and reverse their paralysis. By the grace of Allah, we will continue to perform this procedure with excellent outcomes free of cost for all patients”, said Prof Nadeem Qamar.