Stroke Care

The Medical Center of Plano leads Collin County in state-of-the-art care for stroke patients. Here's how ...

Accreditations and Awards

---

We were the first hospital in Collin County to earn a host of accreditations and awards, including the Gold Seal of Approval™ for stroke care and Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission.

On-call experts

---

Our accomplished team of neurologists, neurosurgeons and nurses are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for triage and immediate treatment of stroke patients.

Frequent use of clot-busters

---

By coming to The Medical Center of Plano, you have a greater chance of being treated with intravenous (IV) tPA (tissue Plasminogen Activator), a potent blood thinner that dissolves clots fast - thus minimizing further brain damage.

Nationally, less than 3 percent of ischemic stroke patients receive IV tPA. But NeuroLink administers this clot-buster to between 12 percent and 16 percent of patients suffering from ischemic stroke.

That achievement is due to the solid processes in place in our Emergency Department, which allows for fast screening of patients, as well as our strong relationship with local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies. (See "Partnership with EMS agencies" below.)

Because stroke patients are transported and processed as quickly as possible, more of them can be treated within the IV tPA time window (three hours from the onset of symptoms, or four-and-a-half hours in select patients).

Innovative therapies widen time window for treatment

---

If a patient is not eligible for IV tPA, NeuroLink uses intra-arterial tPA and/or advanced clot retrieval devices to extract the blood clot and prevent further brain damage.

This minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure for stroke (also known as "brain attack") is performed by an interventional neurologist, similar to how minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures for heart attacks are performed by an interventional cardiologist.

The Medical Center of Plano is the first and only hospital in Collin County (and one of just a few in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex) with clot retrieval technology.

Thanks to this cutting-edge technology, NeuroLink can successfully treat ischemic stroke patients up to 12 hours after the onset of symptoms, compared to the standard three to four-and-a-half hours. This extended timeframe gives you a much better chance of survival and minimized or reversed brain damage.

"I have seen stroke patients come in completely paralyzed, not able to speak," says Dr. Vallabh Janardhan, medical director of the stroke program at The Medical Center of Plano. "After extracting the blood clots through our clot retrieval procedure, they were able to walk and talk again. Such cases are living testaments to how powerful this technology really is."

Minimally invasive procedures help hemorrhagic stroke patients

---

For patients suffering from hemorrhagic stroke - brain bleeds due to ruptured aneurysms - we perform sophisticated endovascular coiling and clipping procedures.

The Medical Center of Plano is the first and only hospital in Collin County (and one of just a few in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex) to offer aneurysm coiling - a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure in which thin metal spring-like coils are placed inside the aneurysm to prevent it from rupturing.

Aneurysm clipping is a surgical procedure in which a neurosurgeon places a clip on the outside of the aneurysm to physically disconnect it from the artery.

For patients whose hemorrhagic stroke is due to the rupture of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) - an abnormal tangle of blood vessels - we perform sophisticated AVM surgical resection (in which the AVM is surgically removed by a neurosurgeon), as well as endovascular AVM embolization.

The Medical Center of Plano is the first and only hospital in Collin County (and one of just a few in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex) to offer endovascular brain and spine AVM embolization. This is a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure in which liquid embolic agents (such as a specialized "super glue" or polymer) are injected into the AVM to shut it down and prevent it from rupturing.

Aneurysm coiling and AVM embolization are performed by an interventional neurologist, similar to how minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures for heart attacks are performed by an interventional cardiologist.

Superior patient outcomes

---

NeuroLink has successfully helped thousands of stroke patients since our inception in 2006. The patient outcomes speak for themselves.

Regional hub for comprehensive stroke care

---

The Medical Center of Plano is the flagship stroke center in Collin County for the Texas Stroke Institute, a regional stroke network of 11 hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Partnership with EMS agencies

---

We work closely with EMS agencies to ensure patients receive high-quality stroke care from the time they dial 911 until they leave our facility. In stroke patients, time lost is brain lost. That's why we train EMS agencies to identify stroke symptoms early-on so patients can be transported to our hospital with minimal delays.

Continual research

---

The Medical Center of Plano actively participates in research studies, including national clinical trials for stroke, to help us assess and improve our care.

For additional reasons why NeuroLink is No. 1 in stroke care for Collin County, learn more about us.