In China, about 70% of strokes are cerebral infarcts. Due to the obstruction of thrombus, the surrounding brain cells will continue to die due to lack of oxygen. Therefore, timely and early treatment within the time window can "save" more brain cells and prevent further brain damage.
In comparison with intravenous thrombolysis, endovascular thrombectomy is a newer treatment for brain infarction in recent years, which includes stenting and aspiration.
Endovascular thrombectomy
Surgery is performed through a small catheter that enters through an artery and removes the thrombus along with the blood clot when it reaches the site of the infarction.
This technology is undoubtedly more advanced and mature overseas. Capture Vascular, a foreign company, introduced their Mega Vac medical thrombectomy system. It can remove the thrombus more safely and also avoid residuals. The development of technology has brought more dimensional possibilities to the medical career.
How the technology works
Thrombus extraction
After a thrombus is formed, the Mega Vac catheter follows the blood vessel to find the clot.
Then, the funnel at the bottom of the catheter slowly opens, and the body's blood pressure causes the funnel to open to its fullest extent, fitting tightly against the vessel wall. For a short period of time, the flow of blood through the vessel is blocked so that the blood flow does not carry pieces of the clot into the vessel below, forming a distal embolism.
There is also no need to worry about the funnel opening up and crushing the blood vessel wall; the radial design allows the blood vessel to bear only a little meager pressure.
The thrombus is sucked out
Afterward a thin tube extends out of the funnel, passes through the thrombus, and opens up on the other side. The thin tube king is then recovered by pushing the thrombus into the catheter along with it, leaving no residue. Once the clot collection is complete, the funnel will shrink back to its original size and the vessel will be open again.
This system removes visible thrombus in less than two minutes with absolutely no distal embolization, making it a simple yet practical technique.
Thrombectomy has been shown to be effective and safe for patients with less severe brain injuries. However, the applicability of thrombectomy in patients with more severe brain injuries has not been conclusively demonstrated.
The system has received European CE marking and has more than 30 patents. The change of technology drives the rapid development of the medical industry. As a medical worker, I also hope that the developed technology can be widely used in China in the future to save more people suffering from pain.