Medical University of Gdańsk: First use of mechanical thrombectomy in child stroke therapy in Poland

First use of mechanical thrombectomy in child stroke therapy in Poland

25.02.2019

prof. Bartosz Karaszewski

A 15-year-old boy with a stroke is the first child in Poland treated with mechanical thrombectomy at the University Clinical Centre, MUG’s Hospital. To date, 122 patients have been treated with mechanical thrombectomy at the UCC.

The pilot programme of the Ministry of Health on treatment of ischaemic stroke with mechanical thrombectomy was started on January 1, 2019. At the UCC these procedures have been carried out since 2015, previously financed by the Hospital. The procedure consists in mechanical removal of a thrombus or embolic material from the lumen of the vessel. Brain strokes in children are rare. The 15-year-old boy feels good after the surgery and has almost completely returned to his performance before the stroke.

The procedures are performed at the vascular radiology unit headed by prof. Edyta Szurowska, M.D., Ph.D., vice-rector for Clinical Affairs and head of 2nd Department of Radiology. Professor Bartosz Karaszewski, M.D., Ph.D., head Department Adult Neurology and Developmental Neurology and professor Maria Mazurkiewicz-Bełdzińska, M.D., Ph.D. of the Department Developmental Neurology cooperate in order to include paediatric patients into the UCC system for treatment of ischemic brain strokes with mechanical thrombectomy.

Stroke is the third most common cause of death and the most common cause of permanent disability in adults. In Poland, the disease affects about 80 thousand people annually. The first symptoms of stroke are suddenly appearing numbness or weakness of muscles on one side of the body and facial asymmetry (a drooping corner of the mouth on one side), difficulties in speaking and understanding speech, vision disorders, dizziness and imbalance, and severe headache. Symptoms may occur either together or separately.

On 22 February 2019 a press conference concerning the pilot programme of mechanical thrombectomy was held at the UCC, with participation of prof. Jerzy Walecki, a National Radiology Consultant, prof. Edyta Szurowska, Jakub Kraszewski, dr Tomasz Stefaniak, director of UCC, prof. Bartosz Karaszewski, head of the Department and Clinic of Adult Neurology MUG, dr Tomasz Gorycki, Coordinator of the Surgical Radiology Laboratory.