Workshop on 'acute stroke' begins today

Local and foreign health professionals are converging in Lahore to share their experiences and latest trend in management of stroke patients as a two-day '15th acute stroke alert workshop' is being held here at Lahore General Hospital (LGH) on November 29 & 30. In the workshop, Prof Ossama Yassin Mansoor, President of Middle East North Africa Stroke and Interventional Neurotherapies Organisation (MINA-SINO), and Prof Anchalee Churojana, Secretary General Asian Australian Federation of interventional & Therapeutic Neauroradiology (AAFTIN) are participating in the workshop.
In a press briefing, Prof Ossama Yassin Mansoor told media here at LGH on Tuesday that stroke is the second most common cause of death and third most common cause of disability while the disease was decreasing in developed countries due to latest treatment facilities.
He said he had introduced an android application whereby in case of stroke, patient and his family were guided for approaching health facility for proper management of stroke. He said mechanical thrombectomy was an endovascular procedure under which trained neuro-interventionalist removed a large blood clot by sending a wired-caged device called a stent retriever to the site of the blocked blood vessel in the brain or through aspiration technique. However, he said this procedure should be done within 8-24 hours of acute stroke symptoms.
He praised Dr Umair Rashid Chaudhry, Head Department of Neuroradiology, LGH, for setting up a state-of-the-art Stroke Centre in the Neuroradiology Department, LGH. Prof Anchalee Churojana on the occasion apprised media about latest techniques in management of stroke in Bangkok. Dr Umair Rashid Chaudhry, Head Department of Neuroradiology said on the occasion that the Stroke Center in the LGH is giving patients the opportunity to avoid paralysis and disability that are caused as a direct result of strokes.
According to him, an Ischemic stroke occurs because of a loss of blood supply to parts of the brain leading to permanent disability and in many cases. Even though many countries are successfully performing mechanical thrombectomy, in Pakistan patients are only offered conventional treatment through medication leading to disability or death that in majority cases could have been prevented. Dr Umair urged media to raise awareness among public to approach this centre at LGH within 6-16 hours if anyone suffers stroke. He said latest medical equipment are available for management of stroke patients.