Rush First in Illinois to Offer New Life-Saving Stroke Procedure

Rush University Medical Center is first in Illinois to use an inside-the-artery clot removal device system to treat ischemic stroke.

“The MAX System makes use of an inside-the-artery device to use suction at the point of the clot to enable complete, safer clot removal,” said Demetrius Lopes, MD, director of neuroendovascular surgery at Rush. Lopes is one of the first physicians in the country to use the new technology called the new MAX System, by Penumbra, Inc.

In clinical studies, the MAX System has been shown to effectively restore blood flow in 92 percent of patients with a procedure time of less than an hour and an aspiration time as quick as 19 minutes. Study results showed that 48 percent of patients had minimal or no long-term side effects, two or less in 90 days.

“It allows quicker clot removal with potential to restore blood flow faster than alternative technologies, which is critical when treatment time equals saving brain cells,” Lopes said.

Strokes occur when an artery in the brain is blocked or bursts, depriving the brain of necessary oxygen and nutrients for it to function. Ischemic stroke, when an artery is completely blocked by a blood clot, happens every 40 seconds in the U.S. and is the fourth leading cause of death.

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