Mission Hospital First in OC to Perform Life-Saving Blood Clot Removal Using Newly-Approved Clot Retrieving Device

Mission Hospital recently became the first hospital in Orange County to successfully use a stroke revascularization device to remove a blood clot from a patient's brain. Since the initial procedure, the hospital has successfully used the device on two additional patients. The Solitaire FR, the device used in the procedures, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 5, 2012, and has the capability of improving stroke outcomes by more effectively extracting clots in a more precise and timely manner.

Paul Tyson, one of the first patients to benefit from this new procedure, was deeply concerned after awaking to find he was unable to get out of bed and having difficulties even calling his wife's name for help. His wife, Cheryl Tyson, quickly realized Paul was showing signs of a stroke and called the ambulance to take him to Mission Hospital, which had started using the Solitaire device just days before. "I think it's wonderful that Mission Hospital had this procedure available to us," Cheryl said, "God had a hand in getting us to the right place."

Although Paul had virtually no movement on his left side when he was taken to the hospital, after the procedure, which took less than an hour, he was moving his left arm by lunch-time. The day after the procedure, Paul was already up and walking around with his nurses. "I could have been hurt bad," Paul said, "but I'm feeling pretty normal now."

Todd Lempert, M.D., who performed the procedures, said that the stroke intervention team at Mission Hospital was excited to have this next-generation clot retriever available after the device got FDA approval in early March. "To be the first hospital in Orange County to successfully use this device is a great accomplishment for our team and exemplifies our goal of working together to achieve excellence."

Time is of the essence with the treatment of stroke, especially an ischemic stroke, when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot. Because these blockages prohibit the brain from receiving the nutrients it needs, neurons begin to die. While prior clot removal procedures could take up to two to three hours, the three recent cases at Mission Hospital were performed in about 30 minutes. Mission Hospital sees hundreds of patients each year that could benefit from the use of the Solitaire FR device, and for patients like Paul Tyson, this new device could have life-saving benefits.

"The time saved using this device is crucial for a stroke patient," said Farzard Massoudi, M.D., medical director of the Neuroscience and Spine Institute at Mission Hospital. "It restores blood flow and essential nutrients to the patient's brain quicker, which significantly improves the likelihood of a positive outcome."

According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of long-term disability. "This is good news for the approximately 700,000 people each year in the U.S. who suffer an acute ischemic stroke," said Stacy Enxing Seng, president, vascular therapies at Covidien, which manufactures the device. "Solitaire FR provides physicians with another important tool for treating this potentially fatal and often debilitating condition."

"We're one of the few centers in Orange County that has this range in capability," said Dr. Lempert. "We're able to handle all levels of complexity when it comes to stroke care – especially with this new tool."

Mission Hospital, part of St. Joseph Health, offers the region's most comprehensive neurological and stroke care and was named a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. Mission Hospital is also an Orange County Emergency Medical Services designated Stroke-Neurology Receiving Center, and the only one providing advanced neurologic care for stroke. For more information, visit www.mission4health.com.

About Mission Hospital
Mission Hospital provides south Orange County communities with access to advanced care and advanced caring through two convenient locations. Mission Hospital has been serving the greater needs of the community for nearly 40 years, improving the quality of life in the communities it serves. Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, the region's only designated trauma center, offers 24-hour emergency care and specialized services for imaging, heart, stroke, maternity, and women's wellness needs. Mission Hospital Laguna Beach offers 24-hour emergency, intensive and medical-surgical care as well as the South County's only behavioral health services including hospital-based chemical and pain medication dependency treatment. CHOC Children's at Mission Hospital, located on the fifth floor of Tower 1, is the only dedicated pediatric hospital in Orange County. A member of the St. Joseph Health, Mission Hospital is one of 14 not-for-profit hospitals sponsored by the St. Joseph Health Ministry. For more information, visit mission4health.com.