<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img src="/nairobi/PublishingImages/Dr%20Mogere%20Edwin.jpg" alt="" style="margin: 5px;"/></span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em>Dr Edwin Mogere, Consultant Neurosurgeon at Aga Khan University Hospital conducting a procedure at the Cathlab</em></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><em></em></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Patients suffering from emergency strokes will now be saved from prolonged brain damage thanks to an acute stroke service introduced by Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi. This was necessitated by the increased number of patients presenting with ischaemic strokes mostly caused by high blood pressure and diabetes and the need to get such get such patients to a hospital within an hour or two for medical attention.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;"/></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. The standard treatments to reduce brain damage are thrombolytic medications which thins the blood to break down the blockage and mechanical removal of the clot using a catheter. Thrombolytic medications need to be administered within few hours of the onset of the stroke. Alternately, removal by catheter also known as mechanical thrombectomy is most effective during the first eight hours of a stroke attack, but may still have good results in select patients up to 24 hours after a stroke. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;"/></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This recently introduced treatment expertise, mechanical thrombectomy, makes use of a state-of-the-art catheter and stent to enter the blocked artery and remove the clot, and produces much improved results than thrombolytic medications if carried out within 24 hours of the start of a stroke. This catheter and stent can be inserted into the brain to remove the clot and allow return of blood flow, preventing any further brain damage. Currently, Aga Khan University Hospital is the only facility offering this procedure in East and Central Africa.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;"/></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“It is apparent that stroke attacks are becoming more frequent in Kenya and there’s need to have a fast-response unit to manage stroke conditions hence the establishment of the service. This increase is attributed to the growing numbers of people leading a sedentary lifestyle including unhealthy diet of fast foods. Coupled with lack of exercise, this results in obesity which tends to cause strokes and heart attacks”, Dr Edwin Mogere, a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Aga Khan University Hospital says. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To save the patient’s life and minimise disability, recognizing symptoms and seeking medical attention in the shortest possible time is a matter of top priority. The most obvious indicator is numbness, or weakness of the face, arm, or leg especially on one side of the body. Others are less apparent and might be related to different complaints like tiredness, or loss of balance for some reason. They include sudden confusion, slurred speech with difficulty repeating simple words, or understanding words spoken by other people. Even a sudden severe headache can indicate the onset of a stroke.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;"/></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">According to Dr Mogere, Ischemic strokes are the most common type of stroke and occur when a clot blocks an artery that carries blood to the brain. Without oxygen, brain cells die very rapidly creating the risk of permanent brain damage, disability, or death. A different type of stroke can result from a rupture of an artery within the brain leading to bleeding, also known as a hemorrhagic stroke. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;"/></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“When a patient suffering from a stroke is brought for treatment, a Computed Tomography (CT) scan is carried out to access whether it is ischemic or hemorrhagic. In other cases, especially after the initial 8 hours, more information may be needed and an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan may be used in addition to supplement the CT scan and detect how much brain injury has occurred and if mechanical thrombectomy is still useful to the patient. This will however take longer to perform. Accordingly, the surgeons would often prefer to follow the results of the CT scan within the first 8 hours but require additional MRI between 8-24 hours as a strategy to save time and give the patient the best chance of recovery.” Dr Mogere further notes.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;"/></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The risk factors of stroke include; smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, alcohol intake among other factors. Knowing your stroke risk factors, following your doctor's recommendations and adopting a healthy lifestyle are the best steps you can take to prevent a stroke. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;"/></div>
