Lima Memorial Health Focus: An Insight into the Treatment and Prevention of Stroke

posted on: 3/5/2018 2:35:29 PM

Health & Fitness Guest Columnist

Zane W. M. Dean, MD, FACC
Cardiologist
Lima Memorial Heart Institute of Northwest Ohio

Stroke is a very serious condition that is especially debilitating in young individuals. Many of these are silent and not attributable to a particular cause. These are termed as ‘Cryptogenic Strokes.’ Approximately 200,000 of these cryptogenic strokes occur annually here in the United States.

Most patients with cryptogenic stroke are treated with a combination of antiplatelet therapy and stroke risk factor reduction treatments, that are not highly effective in preventing strokes that originate due to structural defects in the heart. One such defect in the wall separating the top two chambers of the heart is called ‘Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO).’ Some patients with PFO experience a stroke at a young age. PFO can allow blood clots to go from the right side of the heart to the left, travel to the brain, block blood flow and cause a stroke.

Lima Memorial Heart and Vascular Institute is pleased to offer state-of-the-art, FDA approved structural heart interventions that play an important role in the prevention of recurrent strokes due to PFO. The heart team in collaboration with neurology service at Lima Memorial routinely evaluate and treat these patients. Appropriate patients can benefit from closure of the defect in the heart by a small plug implanted via a vein in the leg. Results of a recently published landmark study, “RESPECT Trial,” confirmed the closure of these defects was superior to medical therapy alone for prevention of repeat stroke.

Dr. Dean is an experienced heart and vascular specialist, who performs these procedures at Lima Memorial Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory under light sedation without the risk of general anesthesia or extensive surgery. The procedure takes about an hour and the patient is discharged home the next day.

The Heart and Vascular professionals at Lima Memorial provide comprehensive services in the prevention of heart disease, heart and vascular imaging, heart artery blockage stenting, heart failure management, blocked leg artery treatments, aneurysm treatments, treatment of blood clots in lungs, heart rhythm disturbances and pacemakers.

Dr. Dean’s other areas of expertise include radial access percutaneous coronary interventions, complex high-risk interventional procedures (CHIP), peripheral arterial disease management and interventions, carotid stenting, endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms, venous interventions for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolisms (PE) and IVC filter placement.

Dr. Dean is one of seven cardiac professionals at the Lima Memorial Heart Institute of Northwest Ohio including Dr. Masroor Abro, Dr. Paul Anike, Dr. Mehran Arabpour, Dr. A. Pierre Bamdad, Dr. Venkat Battula and Dr. Pamela Gardner. He is currently welcoming new patients and physician requests for consultations. Please call 419-224-5915 or 866-359-5915 to schedule an appointment.

Originally published in The Lima News Health and Fitness section.