Dept of Neurosurgery advances endovascular technology, successfully performed on 45-yr-old
Prayagraj: The Department of Neurosurgery at Swarup Rani Nehru Chikitsalaya (SRN), affiliated with Motilal Nehru Medical College, has achieved a significant milestone in the field of neurointervention. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was successfully performed for the first time at the hospital. With this, preparations are complete to begin treating patients with brain aneurysms using the endovascular coiling technique.
According to doctors, a major cause of sudden bleeding in the brain, known as sub-arachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), is the rupture of an aneurysm, a balloon-like lump in a brain blood vessel. In such a situation, the patient may experience serious problems such as sudden, unbearable headache, vomiting, paralysis, or unconsciousness. CT angiography and, if necessary, DSA are performed to diagnose an aneurysm.
SRN’s Department of Neurosurgery has been performing brain aneurysm surgery for the past few years. This involves surgically clipping the aneurysm. An important alternative in modern medicine is endovascular coiling. This involves inserting a special coil into the aneurysm by passing a thin catheter through a blood vessel in the thigh or arm to the relevant blood vessel in the brain. This procedure eliminates the need for a large incision on the head and, in suitable patients, can result in relatively quick recovery.
In this direction, the Department of Neurosurgery took a significant first step by successfully performing a DSA on a 45-year-old woman from Naini. The procedure was successfully completed by a team consisting of Dr. Pankaj Gupta, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Arpit Pathak, and Dr. Yatish Joshi. The patient is in a healthy and stable condition following the procedure, and is scheduled to be discharged from the hospital in two days.
Since the Neurosurgery Department lacks its own cath lab, this procedure was performed in the Cardiology Department’s cath lab. The launch of the DSA facility has now opened the door for endovascular treatment of various neurovascular diseases, including brain aneurysms. Until now, sophisticated and expensive treatments like endovascular coiling have been available primarily at large government institutions and corporate hospitals. Its introduction at SRN Hospital will provide patients in Prayagraj and surrounding districts with access to modern neurointerventional treatments at a relatively low cost.
Principal congratulates the team: Medical College Principal Dr. A.K. Verma said that state-of-the-art medical facilities are constantly being expanded at SRN Hospital. The launch of DSA is a significant achievement in the field of neurosurgery. In the future, with the availability of endovascular technology for brain aneurysm patients, patients from Prayagraj and surrounding districts will have less need to travel to major cities.
What is DSA? DSA (Digital Subtraction Angiography) is a sophisticated blood vessel test. It involves inserting a thin catheter into an artery in the thigh or arm, delivering contrast, and using specialized X-ray technology, it produces extremely clear images of the brain’s blood vessels. This reveals the exact location, size, and shape of a brain aneurysm, allowing doctors to determine the most appropriate treatment for the patient: clipping or endovascular coiling.
