Drug-coated Balloon Gives New Life To Man Who Had Over 100 Strokes | Bengaluru News – Times of India
Balloon angioplasty is generally used to open narrow coronary arteries. Rohan used to have mini strokes due to a condition known as focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA), wherein the blood flow to the brain was obstructed almost fully. “He would have mini strokes three to six times every day for more than a month.
While waking up, he would have weakness and numbness in his right leg and shoulder,” said Ramesh, his uncle. Rohan would feel better on lying down and raising his leg, which would help improve blood flow to the brain. “Once he had a mini stroke while waiting at a hospital,” he recalled.
There are two types of stroke — ischemic strokes caused by blockage of blood flow to the brain and haemorrhagic strokes that occur due to bleeding in arteries in the brain. In some patients, ischemic stroke may present like minor stroke/TIA. Experts say if the warning signs are recognised at an early stage, it is possible to prevent the patient from developing severe strokes.
Rohan had severe narrowing of blood flow to the brain due to inflammation in one of his arteries. Such patients are usually advised to take steroids and blood thinners until the symptoms subside. But he was not responding to any drugs/injections. He would have multiple strokes daily. MRIs done in multiple centres showed the strokes had caused damage to his brain.
On May 25, Rohan was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru. After a week, he was advised to undergo stenting. It seemed risky as doctors feared his arteries might rupture during the procedure. On June 2, he was admitted to Narayana Health and was in the ICU for two days, said Ramesh. Soon after being shifted to the ward, he had a series of mini strokes.
Thereafter, he underwent balloon angioplasty and his symptoms subsided for a few days. Fortunately, his arteries did not rupture. But he had TIA again. Life became hard — he couldn’t even sit, let alone do everyday activities.
Innovative use of balloon angioplasty
As a last resort, Dr Vikram Huded, director and clinical lead, interventional neurology programme of Narayana Health Group, and his team employed a novel technique. “We used a small balloon, kept it inflated in his blocked arteries for a minute for the drug to go in, and then put in a dedicated neuro stent,” said Dr Huded.
Balloon angioplasty is usually used for atherosclerosis. However, Dr Huded claims it is the first time that FCA has been treated with a drug-coated balloon, followed by stent. Thanks to the innovative use of balloon angioplasty, the patient is back on his feet. The last four weeks have passed without a scare. “I’m doing well and have started going to work again, which was almost unimaginable until last month,” said Rohan.
(Names of patient and his uncle have been changed)
