I20 -- May 2008 -- Endovascular Stroke Treatment

Intro: When it comes to stroke, time is brain. That's because there's a small window of opportunity after symptoms begin for treatment to be effective. The man you're about to meet knows this all too well. He was in a coma from a massive stroke. But thanks to state-of-the art technology at Mayo Clinic that allows doctors to work inside the vessels of the brain without surgery, this man survived.

(BIG BAND MUSIC)

"WE WERE MARRIED ON APRIL 23RD, 1947."

A WHIRLWIND ROMANCE. BOB KANE WAS SHIPPING OUT TO SERVE OVERSEAS.

"I ONLY KNEW HIM 17 DAYS BEFORE HE HAD TO GO BACK."

THREE KIDS AND NINE GRANDCHILDREN LATER, RENA WAS AFRAID THEIR LONG ROMANCE TOGETHER WAS OVER.

"I WAS STANDING RIGHT HERE WHEN I HAD THE STROKE."

"HE COULDN'T SPEAK. HIS LEFT ARM WAS HANGING DOWN AND HIS EYELID AND MOUTH WERE DROOPED."

"BOB HAD A CLOT IN AN ARTERY IN THE VERY BACK OF HIS BRAIN."

DR. BRIAN CHONG SAYS THE CLOT WAS IN A PART OF THE BRAIN THAT CONTROLS BASIC FUNCTIONS LIKE YOUR HEARTBEAT OR BREATHING.

"ONCE YOU PRESENT WITH STROKE IN THIS ARTERY AND YOU PROGRESS TO COMA, YOU HAVE A 90% CHANCE OF DYING."

SINCE BOB GOT TO THE E.R. WITHIN THREE HOURS AFTER SYMPTOMS STARTED, DR. CHONG COULD ADMINISTER A CLOT-BUSTING DRUG CALLED TPA DIRECTLY INTO BOB'S ARTERY. IT WORKED. THE CLOT DISSOLVED. BUT IN IT'S PLACE WAS ANOTHER PROBLEM.

"WE SAW AN AREA OF VERY, VERY TIGHT NARROWING OF THE ARTERY."

TO OPEN THAT ARTERY, DR. CHONG PERFORMED AN ANGIOPLASTY. FEEDING A CATHETER FROM BOB'S GROIN UP TO THE NARROWED ARTERY IN HIS BRAIN, HE INFLATED A BALLOON, OPENING THE ARTERY AND RESTORING BLOOD FLOW. LATER DR. CHONG PLACED A STENT TO KEEP THE ARTERY OPEN.

AFTER BEING CLOSE TO DEATH, BOB'S LONG ROMANCE WITH RENA CONTINUES.

"HE'S THE SAME MAN. HE HAD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE. HE STILL HAS. HIS EYES TWINKLE."

FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS



Anchor tag: Mr. Kane was very lucky. He survived his stroke because his family called 911 and emergency services got him to a hospital that is a certified stroke center. Only at these centers are physicians like Dr. Chong able to perform these life-saving procedures.

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