By Sola Ogundipe
A US-trained Nigerian vascular interventional radiologist, Dr. Hammed Ninalowo and his team, have performed a pioneering stroke intervention in Nigeria.
Ninalowo, who is currently running a practice at the Lagos Center for Endosvascular Neurosurgery, disclosed in a viral video obtained by Vanguard, that the intervention would help make care more accessible to stroke patients in Nigeria.
“We performed our first endovascular intervention for a patient with an acute stroke, where we removed blood clots within the brain in order to restore blood flow to the brain, called mechanical thrombectomy.
“We had a 67-year-old male who had an acute stroke and lost sensation in his right hand and right limb. Our service was activated in the afternoon, and by the evening, the patient was transferred and had a CT scan showing a large blood clot within one of the vessels in the brain, called a middle cerebral artery.
“We sprung into action, went into the vessel in the groin, and from that groin access went into the brain to remove the blood clot within the brain and restore blood flow to that part of the brain. “Again, this is very exciting, as this is the first mechanical thrombectomy for stroke done in Nigeria, and it is a significant milestone for our programme at the Lagos Center for Endovascular Neurosurgery.”
He said it is a significant milestone as Nigeria is closer to being able to intervene on patients with stroke, remove blood clots and significantly improve their chances of full recovery.
“As you know, stroke can be a debilitating illness, which can significantly alter a patient’s quality of life after an event. Our service has worked tirelessly over the last five years since our move to Nigeria, into pushing the limits to make sure all of the cutting-edge treatments that are available in America and Western countries can be done here in Nigeria.
“When we do these treatments, we have to be available even when everyone’s asleep, with our team leaving the hospital when the streets are quiet sometimes.
“But we understand that brain is time, and this is not an illnesses that can leave and afford to wait or afford to travel outside of the country.
“ When you or your family member has a stroke, it is important to know where to go to seek treatment, because again, brain is time.
“With our partners at the Lagos Centre for Endovascular Neurosurgery, we will continue to strive for a goal of having a comprehensive stroke programme in Nigeria to serve Nigerian patients,” he noted.
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Last modified: October 8, 2024
