Department Overview

Section of Cerebrovascular Disease and Neurological Critical Care

Faculty:

Michael Kelly, M.D.	Steven Lewis, M.D.	Megan Shanks, M.D.
Vivien Lee, M.D.	Shyam Prabhakaran, M.D.

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and is the third largest cause of death, ranking behind heart disease and cancer. As recognition of the importance of treating stroke increases, the field of stroke itself is undergoing an exciting evolution, and this transformation is reflected in the dynamic growth of the stroke program at Rush. Approximately 500 inpatients with cerebrovascular disorders are treated annually at Rush University Medical Center by a multi-disciplinary team that includes stroke neurologists, cerebrovascular neurosurgeons, neuro-radiologists, stroke-trained nurses, rehabilitation services, and physical therapists. The inpatient neurology stroke team is available 24-7 to respond immediately to acute stroke patients, offering IV-tPA, as well as up-to-date endovascular treatments. The inpatient stroke team has the benefit of dedicated stroke floors, including a 17-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit with a CT scanner within the unit. Rush also has an active referral stroke clinic that sees patients with cerebrovascular disease in the outpatient setting. The cerebrovascular section also manages a neurosonology lab with transcranial Doppler and carotid ultrasound capability.

The cerebrovascular section is dedicated to the participation and development of novel treatments, and exciting clinical stroke trials are on-going at Rush. The stroke program is currently participating in PENUMBRA, a pivotal clinical study evaluating the use of a unique micro-catheter based multi-modality device for the revascularization of an occluded vessel in the brain. We will also be participating in the COAXIA, a randomized study of NeuroFlo, a unique, dual-balloon catheter that augments cerebral perfusion by restricting flow in the descending aorta, utilizing the brain's collateral circulation to potentially limit the size of the stroke.