The Valley Hospital Is First in Northern New Jersey to Employ the Solitaire Device
The Valley Hospital Is First in Northern New Jersey to Employ the Solitaire Device for Minimally Invasive Removal of Blood Clots During Episodes of Stroke
September 25, 2012 — Neurointerventionalists at The Valley Hospital are first in northern New Jersey to use an effective, new tool in the fight against stroke. The Solitaire device is now being used to surgically retrieve blood clots in patients suffering a stroke. The device is being utilized by Director of Neurointervention Sean Lavine, M.D., and Dorothea Altschul, M.D.
The Solitaire is inserted through a small incision in the groin using a thin catheter that is threaded to the location of the clot in the brain. The device has a self-expanding, stent retrieval design that compresses and traps the clot. The clot is then removed by withdrawing the device, thus reopening the blocked blood vessel.
The device was approved by the FDA earlier this year, and Valley is one of the first hospitals in the nation to acquire and use the technology.
“The Solitaire device is the first of its kind in clot-retrieval systems,” says Dr. Altschul. “It has been demonstrated to be more effective than previous devices for removing blood clots in the brain and restoring blood flow.”
The clinical trial SWIFT (Solitaire With the Intention for Thrombectomy), which was performed to determine the effectiveness of the Solitaire FR Revascularization Device, in acute stroke was halted almost a year earlier than planned because of significantly better outcomes reported with the new device.
The results of the study were released at the 2012 American Stroke Association’s international conference in New Orleans.
Neurointerventionalists use the Solitaire device to restore blood flow to the brain in patients suffering acute ischemic stroke by mechanically removing blood clots from blocked vessels. The minimally invasive procedure is performed in a specially equipped interventional neuroscience operating room at Valley.
The first case at Valley involved removing a clot from the brain of a 69-year-old man who suffered a major stroke while driving. “A timely intervention combined with the use of the Solitaire device, meant we were able to prevent the patient from experiencing any debilitating effects from the stroke and he is now enjoying a normal, productive life,” says Dr. Altschul.
“This is a very promising device that is working very well for our stroke patients,” says Dr. Altschul.
“At The Valley Hospital, we are providing world-class neuroscience care for patients suffering acute strokes and are among the leading medical institutions in the nation using the newest technologies.” says Dr. Lavine.
For more information, please call Valley’s Neuroscience Center of Excellence at 201-447-8647.
