A stroke occurs when a blood vessel carrying oxygen to the brain is either blocked by a clot or ruptures. Strokes are the leading cause of disability and the number four cause of death in the U.S.
At MedStar Health, patients who suffer a stroke have access to every possible resource to help reduce the risk of permanent brain damage or death. Our board-certified neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neurointerventional radiologists work together, using the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies and techniques to restore blood flow to the brain as rapidly as possible.
Every minute matters. The earlier the blood flow is restored, the less likely a stroke patient will have permanent damage. Time is brain.
Why choose MedStar Health?
At MedStar Health, we offer:
- Immediate access to board-certified neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurointerventional radiologists, and other experts, either on-site or through our TeleStroke video
- MedSTAR Rapid Transport, the region’s only 24/7 emergency transport program, including state-of-the-art medevac helicopters and ambulances staffed by highly trained emergency response teams.
- Three hospitals with Joint Commission-accredited Comprehensive Stroke Programs —
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center. - Seven of our hospitals are designated Primary Stroke Centers throughout Maryland, including MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center.
- Access to the latest treatment options, including thrombectomy and aneurysm coiling and stenting.
- Outpatient stroke care focused on specialized follow-up to ensure the best possible long-term clinical outcomes.
- Clinical research through ongoing National Institutes of Health-funded studies.
Our comprehensive stroke centers
MedStar Washington Hospital Center was the first hospital in Washington, D.C. to be designated by the Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Now, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center offer Comprehensive Stroke Centers accredited by The Joint Commission. Together we have been treating stroke patients for more than 20 years and care for 4,000 stroke patients each year.
We understand the urgency and have the expertise to treat the most complex strokes.
Click for more details about our Comprehensive Stroke Centers.
Our Primary Stroke Centers
Primary Stroke Centers serve our communities with measurable, quality care when stroke patients need us. At MedStar Health, our Primary Stroke Centers include MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Harbor Hospital, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, MedStar St. Mary's Hospital, and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.
Identifying the type of stroke and initiating treatment
Our physicians are prepared to respond quickly and effectively to an evolving stroke. When a patient with a possible stroke comes in, emergency department (ED) physicians activate the stroke team and begin a battery of tests that will determine the patient’s course of treatment. Depending on each patient’s symptoms and how soon they arrive in the ED for assessment after the onset of the symptoms, our team will use the most appropriate diagnostic tool, whether that is an MRI or CT Scan. MedStar Health exceeds national standards and door-to-needle times within 60-minutes for most patients.
Not only is it important to diagnose if someone has just had a stroke, doctors must also determine the type of stroke. The treatment is different, based on whether it is an ischemic stroke (caused by a clot blockage) or a hemorrhagic stroke (caused by a rupture). Depending on the type and severity of the stroke, treatment options will vary, and may include surgery.
Immediate treatment
Our specialists will order a variety of diagnostic tests to determine the location and extent of brain injury, as well as evaluate the condition of the arteries in the heart and neck that supply blood to the brain.
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Ischemic Stroke
The most effective medicine for the treatment of ischemic stroke are thrombolytics. Taken intravenously, it works with your body's enzymes to dissolve blood clots. This highly effective treatment must be given within four and a half hours of the onset of stroke, so it is imperative to seek medical care without delay.
Remember to BEFAST:
B-Balance - Watch for sudden loss of balance
E-Eyes - Check for blurry vision
F-Face - Look for face drooping
A-Arm - Check for arm weakness
S-Speech - Listen for speech difficulty
T-Time - Call 911 right away -
Hemorrhagic Stroke
The best and safest ways to remove blood from the brain after a hemorrhage, and minimize damage to the brain, include surgical removal of the clot, clot busting medication to dissolve the clot, and medications to minimize swelling caused by the clot. For hemorrhages caused by aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, a skilled neuroradiologists or neurosurgeon can repair or block the vessels to prevent further bleeding. Many of these procedures can be performed through a minimally invasive technique.
Surgical treatment
Certain strokes originating from carotid artery disease, brain aneurysms, AVMs, and hypertensive hemorrhages benefit greatly from surgical interventions. Using the most advanced surgical and microsurgical techniques available today, MedStar Health neurosurgeons perform:
- Surgical clipping of complex (ruptured and unruptured) brain aneurysms
- Surgical resection of arteriovenous malformations/fistulas
- Carotid stenosis treatment which removes the plaque that caused the narrowing of the artery
Recovery and rehabilitation
Quick intervention in a stroke can save a life, but long-term rehabilitation can give many victims back their quality of life as well. The specialists at MedStar Health include occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, and case managers who provide guidance and encouragement to help the patients “retrain the brain.” Therapy is available on an inpatient and outpatient basis and is customized to each individual’s needs.
Our providers
Expert neurology care
Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our neurosurgeons.