PHOTO: The Hospital’s Hybrid Operating Room offers biplane angiography, which enables the Neurointerventional team to perform complex procedures, such as thrombectomies.
When evaluating stroke care, the key adage is “time is brain.” That’s because once a stroke starts, minutes matter. About 1.9 million brain cells may die every 60 seconds until the blood supply to the brain is restored. As a result, rapid diagnosis and treatment are essential for positive outcomes for stroke patients.
White Plains Hospital has rapidly built its Neurosciences program, centered in part on the most advanced methods for treating strokes. The Hospital’s Neurosciences program offers comprehensive, cutting-edge treatment for a variety of complex neuro-endovascular, neurosurgical, neurological, cranial, and spine conditions. With board-certified neuro-endovascular surgeons, neurosurgeons, and neurologists, as well as the most advanced medical technologies and facilities, White Plains Hospital specializes in advanced treatments for patients with brain aneurysms and those in need of stroke care, neurosurgery, epilepsy care, multiple sclerosis services, pain management, and nonsurgical therapies.
Most notably, the Hospital now has the ability to perform thrombectomies, the gold standard for stroke treatment and the highest-quality acute stroke care currently available. Performed in the Hospital’s new biplane angiography suite, a thrombectomy can save significant time for stroke patients and potentially save lives. During this minimally invasive procedure, specially designed instruments are inserted into a large blood vessel in the groin through a small port and threaded through thin catheters to reach and remove blood clots in the brain.
“As a thrombectomy-capable stroke center, we can provide stroke patients the essential care they need as quickly as possible, delivering better patient outcomes,” says Dr. Rafael A. Ortiz, newly named Executive Director of the Hospital’s Neurosciences division.
“Access to this level of advanced neurological care is essential for patients,” he says. “White Plains Hospital’s commitment to high-quality care and clinical excellence close to home distinguish it as a leading healthcare provider in the region.”
The ability to offer such services has never been more important: Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 800,000 Americans have a stroke — equal to one stroke every 40 seconds — with fatal strokes occurring every 3.5 minutes. While commonly believed to be primarily a risk for older people, the American Heart Association reported last year that the rate of stroke in adults 75 and older has actually been declining, while the incidence of stroke in adults 49 and younger has increased over the past 30 years.
Visit wphospital.org/neuro to learn more about the Neurosciences program at White Plains Hospital.
Spotlight On: Dr. Rafael A. Ortiz
Dr. Ortiz has made prolific contributions to the specialty, both as a clinician and researcher, working at the forefront of neuro-endovascular surgery for the last 20 years. His specialties include endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms; embolization of brain tumors and vascular tumors of the head and neck region; cerebral and spinal arteriovenous malformations; ischemic stroke; cerebral and carotid artery stenting; and treatment of craniofacial vascular lesions in adults and children, among others. He is board-certified in CNS endovascular surgery, neurology, and vascular neurology. He is also currently the President of the American Heart Association NYC Board of Directors.