Therefore, treatment for acute ischemic stroke is extremely important as it helps reduce long-term disability. A typical treatment that has been used worldwide since 1993 is intravenous thrombolysis by using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours after onset. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy have better outcomes than those without the treatment, as they have a 30% greater chance of full recovery or having only a little disability within 3 months. Unfortunately, a number of stroke patients cannot be given thrombolytic therapy due to some limitations. Some patients may arrive at the hospital too late for treatment, some may have had a major operation recently, and some may have been treated with thrombolytic therapy but were found to have a large vessel occlusion. In these cases, the American Stroke Association has recommended mechanical thrombectomy as a standard treatment since 2015 and the treatment has been found to be more effective than giving thrombolytic therapy alone. According to a study, patients with thrombectomy had a significantly favorable outcome in terms of clot removal compared to those given rtPA alone (60-80% vs. 30%). Patients with thrombectomy were able to perform daily activities better and had better outcomes based on a 90-day disability assessment (modified Rankin scale ≤ 2) compared to those treated with rtPA alone (30-70% vs. 20-40%) whereas the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates are similar in both groups.
Expected Benefits to Patients
Ischemic stroke patients with indications for thrombectomy, estimated at 50–60 cases per year, should have access to treatment at international standards without extra costs regardless of the availability of medical coverage, hence reducing their risk of disability.
Chulalongkorn Stroke Center of Excellence, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, is a center of high level expertise in stroke patient care and referral center in Bangkok serving the highest number of referral cases. At present, there are over 700 stroke patients receiving treatment at KCMH per year, with 5-8 of them treated with thrombectomy per month. However, the cost of thrombectomy is high and usually exceeds the patient’s medical benefits, causing problems to both patients with and without medical insurance coverage.
Stroke is the first leading cause of death in Thailand. As many as 50,000 people die of stroke every year. There are three types of stroke, namely: 1) ischemic stroke; 2) hemorrhagic stroke; and 3) transient ischemic attack (sometimes called “mini stroke”), which causes temporary disruption of brain function. Stroke not only causes death but also paresis or paralysis in 30% of stroke survivors, posing long-term physical, mental, and social impacts on the patients and their familites.
Therefore, treatment for acute ischemic stroke is extremely important as it helps reduce long-term disability. A typical treatment that has been used worldwide since 1993 is intravenous thrombolysis by using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours after onset. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy have better outcomes than those without the treatment, as they have a 30% greater chance of full recovery or having only a little disability within 3 months. Unfortunately, a number of stroke patients cannot be given thrombolytic therapy due to some limitations. Some patients may arrive at the hospital too late for treatment, some may have had a major operation recently, and some may have been treated with thrombolytic therapy but were found to have a large vessel occlusion. In these cases, the American Stroke Association has recommended mechanical thrombectomy as a standard treatment since 2015 and the treatment has been found to be more effective than giving thrombolytic therapy alone. According to a study, patients with thrombectomy had a significantly favorable outcome in terms of clot removal compared to those given rtPA alone (60-80% vs. 30%). Patients with thrombectomy were able to perform daily activities better and had better outcomes based on a 90-day disability assessment (modified Rankin scale ≤ 2) compared to those treated with rtPA alone (30-70% vs. 20-40%) whereas the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates are similar in both groups.
Expected Benefits to Patients
Ischemic stroke patients with indications for thrombectomy, estimated at 50–60 cases per year, should have access to treatment at international standards without extra costs regardless of the availability of medical coverage, hence reducing their risk of disability.
Stroke is the first leading cause of death in Thailand. As many as 50,000 people die of stroke every year. There are three types of stroke, namely: 1) ischemic stroke; 2) hemorrhagic stroke; and 3) transient ischemic attack (sometimes called “mini stroke”), which causes temporary disruption of brain function. Stroke not only causes death but also paresis or paralysis in 30% of stroke survivors, posing long-term physical, mental, and social impacts on the patients and their familites.
Therefore, treatment for acute ischemic stroke is extremely important as it helps reduce long-term disability. A typical treatment that has been used worldwide since 1993 is intravenous thrombolysis by using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours after onset. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy have better outcomes than those without the treatment, as they have a 30% greater chance of full recovery or having only a little disability within 3 months. Unfortunately, a number of stroke patients cannot be given thrombolytic therapy due to some limitations. Some patients may arrive at the hospital too late for treatment, some may have had a major operation recently, and some may have been treated with thrombolytic therapy but were found to have a large vessel occlusion. In these cases, the American Stroke Association has recommended mechanical thrombectomy as a standard treatment since 2015 and the treatment has been found to be more effective than giving thrombolytic therapy alone. According to a study, patients with thrombectomy had a significantly favorable outcome in terms of clot removal compared to those given rtPA alone (60-80% vs. 30%). Patients with thrombectomy were able to perform daily activities better and had better outcomes based on a 90-day disability assessment (modified Rankin scale ≤ 2) compared to those treated with rtPA alone (30-70% vs. 20-40%) whereas the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates are similar in both groups.
Expected Benefits to Patients
Ischemic stroke patients with indications for thrombectomy, estimated at 50–60 cases per year, should have access to treatment at international standards without extra costs regardless of the availability of medical coverage, hence reducing their risk of disability.
Chulalongkorn Stroke Center of Excellence, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, is a center of high level expertise in stroke patient care and referral center in Bangkok serving the highest number of referral cases. At present, there are over 700 stroke patients receiving treatment at KCMH per year, with 5-8 of them treated with thrombectomy per month. However, the cost of thrombectomy is high and usually exceeds the patient’s medical benefits, causing problems to both patients with and without medical insurance coverage.
Stroke is the first leading cause of death in Thailand. As many as 50,000 people die of stroke every year. There are three types of stroke, namely: 1) ischemic stroke; 2) hemorrhagic stroke; and 3) transient ischemic attack (sometimes called “mini stroke”), which causes temporary disruption of brain function. Stroke not only causes death but also paresis or paralysis in 30% of stroke survivors, posing long-term physical, mental, and social impacts on the patients and their familites.
Therefore, treatment for acute ischemic stroke is extremely important as it helps reduce long-term disability. A typical treatment that has been used worldwide since 1993 is intravenous thrombolysis by using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours after onset. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy have better outcomes than those without the treatment, as they have a 30% greater chance of full recovery or having only a little disability within 3 months. Unfortunately, a number of stroke patients cannot be given thrombolytic therapy due to some limitations. Some patients may arrive at the hospital too late for treatment, some may have had a major operation recently, and some may have been treated with thrombolytic therapy but were found to have a large vessel occlusion. In these cases, the American Stroke Association has recommended mechanical thrombectomy as a standard treatment since 2015 and the treatment has been found to be more effective than giving thrombolytic therapy alone. According to a study, patients with thrombectomy had a significantly favorable outcome in terms of clot removal compared to those given rtPA alone (60-80% vs. 30%). Patients with thrombectomy were able to perform daily activities better and had better outcomes based on a 90-day disability assessment (modified Rankin scale ≤ 2) compared to those treated with rtPA alone (30-70% vs. 20-40%) whereas the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates are similar in both groups.
Expected Benefits to Patients
Ischemic stroke patients with indications for thrombectomy, estimated at 50–60 cases per year, should have access to treatment at international standards without extra costs regardless of the availability of medical coverage, hence reducing their risk of disability.
Therefore, treatment for acute ischemic stroke is extremely important as it helps reduce long-term disability. A typical treatment that has been used worldwide since 1993 is intravenous thrombolysis by using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours after onset. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy have better outcomes than those without the treatment, as they have a 30% greater chance of full recovery or having only a little disability within 3 months. Unfortunately, a number of stroke patients cannot be given thrombolytic therapy due to some limitations. Some patients may arrive at the hospital too late for treatment, some may have had a major operation recently, and some may have been treated with thrombolytic therapy but were found to have a large vessel occlusion. In these cases, the American Stroke Association has recommended mechanical thrombectomy as a standard treatment since 2015 and the treatment has been found to be more effective than giving thrombolytic therapy alone. According to a study, patients with thrombectomy had a significantly favorable outcome in terms of clot removal compared to those given rtPA alone (60-80% vs. 30%). Patients with thrombectomy were able to perform daily activities better and had better outcomes based on a 90-day disability assessment (modified Rankin scale ≤ 2) compared to those treated with rtPA alone (30-70% vs. 20-40%) whereas the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates are similar in both groups.
Expected Benefits to Patients
Ischemic stroke patients with indications for thrombectomy, estimated at 50–60 cases per year, should have access to treatment at international standards without extra costs regardless of the availability of medical coverage, hence reducing their risk of disability.
Chulalongkorn Stroke Center of Excellence, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, is a center of high level expertise in stroke patient care and referral center in Bangkok serving the highest number of referral cases. At present, there are over 700 stroke patients receiving treatment at KCMH per year, with 5-8 of them treated with thrombectomy per month. However, the cost of thrombectomy is high and usually exceeds the patient’s medical benefits, causing problems to both patients with and without medical insurance coverage.
Stroke is the first leading cause of death in Thailand. As many as 50,000 people die of stroke every year. There are three types of stroke, namely: 1) ischemic stroke; 2) hemorrhagic stroke; and 3) transient ischemic attack (sometimes called “mini stroke”), which causes temporary disruption of brain function. Stroke not only causes death but also paresis or paralysis in 30% of stroke survivors, posing long-term physical, mental, and social impacts on the patients and their familites.
Therefore, treatment for acute ischemic stroke is extremely important as it helps reduce long-term disability. A typical treatment that has been used worldwide since 1993 is intravenous thrombolysis by using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours after onset. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy have better outcomes than those without the treatment, as they have a 30% greater chance of full recovery or having only a little disability within 3 months. Unfortunately, a number of stroke patients cannot be given thrombolytic therapy due to some limitations. Some patients may arrive at the hospital too late for treatment, some may have had a major operation recently, and some may have been treated with thrombolytic therapy but were found to have a large vessel occlusion. In these cases, the American Stroke Association has recommended mechanical thrombectomy as a standard treatment since 2015 and the treatment has been found to be more effective than giving thrombolytic therapy alone. According to a study, patients with thrombectomy had a significantly favorable outcome in terms of clot removal compared to those given rtPA alone (60-80% vs. 30%). Patients with thrombectomy were able to perform daily activities better and had better outcomes based on a 90-day disability assessment (modified Rankin scale ≤ 2) compared to those treated with rtPA alone (30-70% vs. 20-40%) whereas the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates are similar in both groups.
Expected Benefits to Patients
Ischemic stroke patients with indications for thrombectomy, estimated at 50–60 cases per year, should have access to treatment at international standards without extra costs regardless of the availability of medical coverage, hence reducing their risk of disability.
Stroke is the first leading cause of death in Thailand. As many as 50,000 people die of stroke every year. There are three types of stroke, namely: 1) ischemic stroke; 2) hemorrhagic stroke; and 3) transient ischemic attack (sometimes called “mini stroke”), which causes temporary disruption of brain function. Stroke not only causes death but also paresis or paralysis in 30% of stroke survivors, posing long-term physical, mental, and social impacts on the patients and their familites.
Therefore, treatment for acute ischemic stroke is extremely important as it helps reduce long-term disability. A typical treatment that has been used worldwide since 1993 is intravenous thrombolysis by using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours after onset. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy have better outcomes than those without the treatment, as they have a 30% greater chance of full recovery or having only a little disability within 3 months. Unfortunately, a number of stroke patients cannot be given thrombolytic therapy due to some limitations. Some patients may arrive at the hospital too late for treatment, some may have had a major operation recently, and some may have been treated with thrombolytic therapy but were found to have a large vessel occlusion. In these cases, the American Stroke Association has recommended mechanical thrombectomy as a standard treatment since 2015 and the treatment has been found to be more effective than giving thrombolytic therapy alone. According to a study, patients with thrombectomy had a significantly favorable outcome in terms of clot removal compared to those given rtPA alone (60-80% vs. 30%). Patients with thrombectomy were able to perform daily activities better and had better outcomes based on a 90-day disability assessment (modified Rankin scale ≤ 2) compared to those treated with rtPA alone (30-70% vs. 20-40%) whereas the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates are similar in both groups.
Expected Benefits to Patients
Ischemic stroke patients with indications for thrombectomy, estimated at 50–60 cases per year, should have access to treatment at international standards without extra costs regardless of the availability of medical coverage, hence reducing their risk of disability.
Chulalongkorn Stroke Center of Excellence, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, is a center of high level expertise in stroke patient care and referral center in Bangkok serving the highest number of referral cases. At present, there are over 700 stroke patients receiving treatment at KCMH per year, with 5-8 of them treated with thrombectomy per month. However, the cost of thrombectomy is high and usually exceeds the patient’s medical benefits, causing problems to both patients with and without medical insurance coverage.
Stroke is the first leading cause of death in Thailand. As many as 50,000 people die of stroke every year. There are three types of stroke, namely: 1) ischemic stroke; 2) hemorrhagic stroke; and 3) transient ischemic attack (sometimes called “mini stroke”), which causes temporary disruption of brain function. Stroke not only causes death but also paresis or paralysis in 30% of stroke survivors, posing long-term physical, mental, and social impacts on the patients and their familites.
Therefore, treatment for acute ischemic stroke is extremely important as it helps reduce long-term disability. A typical treatment that has been used worldwide since 1993 is intravenous thrombolysis by using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours after onset. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy have better outcomes than those without the treatment, as they have a 30% greater chance of full recovery or having only a little disability within 3 months. Unfortunately, a number of stroke patients cannot be given thrombolytic therapy due to some limitations. Some patients may arrive at the hospital too late for treatment, some may have had a major operation recently, and some may have been treated with thrombolytic therapy but were found to have a large vessel occlusion. In these cases, the American Stroke Association has recommended mechanical thrombectomy as a standard treatment since 2015 and the treatment has been found to be more effective than giving thrombolytic therapy alone. According to a study, patients with thrombectomy had a significantly favorable outcome in terms of clot removal compared to those given rtPA alone (60-80% vs. 30%). Patients with thrombectomy were able to perform daily activities better and had better outcomes based on a 90-day disability assessment (modified Rankin scale ≤ 2) compared to those treated with rtPA alone (30-70% vs. 20-40%) whereas the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and mortality rates are similar in both groups.
Expected Benefits to Patients
Ischemic stroke patients with indications for thrombectomy, estimated at 50–60 cases per year, should have access to treatment at international standards without extra costs regardless of the availability of medical coverage, hence reducing their risk of disability.