DOZENS of stroke patients are expected to benefit during the first year of a new pilot thrombectomy service launching in Edinburgh from today.
The highly specialist procedure, which "catches" potentially deadly blood clots, will be offered on a case-by-case basis initially to a small number of patients who have suffered a life-threatening stroke.
It is expected that around 40 to 50 patients treated at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh will be eligible in the first 12 months, before the service is eventually extended across the East of Scotland once there are enough trained staff to cover the region.
A similar pilot for the North of Scotland, based in Dundee, got underway in November last year, and a third thrombectomy centre in Glasgow should become operational in 2022.
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It is hoped that they will pave the way to a national service able to treat 600 to 800 patients a year.
John Watson, associate director of the Stroke Association in Scotland, said: “This service is long awaited, overdue, but very welcome indeed."
Thrombectomy involves inserting a long tube into an artery in the leg, which is then fed through the body to reach the blood clot in the brain. The blood clot is then captured in a mesh and pulled out.
The removal of the clot allows blood flow to resume and oxygen to reach the brain, halting the damaging effects of the stroke.
The procedure is not suitable for all patients, but can be used when blood clots are too big to be broken down by clot-busting drugs.
Mr Watson said the treatment was "game-changing" and he wanted all eligible patients to have access to it "as soon as possible".
He added: "Thrombectomy has the power to save lives and reduce disability for around one in every ten people who have a stroke.
"The Edinburgh-based pilot is an important milestone on the road to a national 24/7 thrombectomy service for Scotland."
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Research also indicates that, on average, each thrombectomy procedure saves the NHS £47,000 over a five-year period through reduced requirements for disability and rehabilitation support.
Alison Maclean, 72, from Broughty Ferry, was among the first patients to benefit from Dundee's thrombectomy service after she suffered a stroke while in Ninewells hospital in January this year.
The retired nursery school teacher had fractured her leg in a fall and was due to have an operation on January 26.
Alison Maclean
However, on the morning of the procedure she suddenly developed weakness in her left side, vision difficulties and problems speaking.
She said: "I don’t remember very much other than being asked to lift my arm and lift my leg and answer questions.
"I thought I was okay, but the next thing I remember is the doctor telling me that he thought I might have had a stroke.
"I believe I was rushed in to a room to get a brain scan following which I underwent a thrombectomy.
"Apparently some blood had leaked from my femur bone causing a clot thereafter the stroke."
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The mother-of-three was discharged from hospital on February 2 and has since made a full recovery.
She said: "I feel great, just the same and I am back to doing all the things I did before my stroke: seeing friends and family, reading, watching telly, going on my exercise bike and for walks."
The drive for a national thrombectomy service follows campaigns mounted by the Stroke Association and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) after the treatment was withdrawn completely from Scottish hospitals in 2017 for capacity reasons.
Prior to that it was being offered only in rare circumstances.
Robert Baldock, 55, was one of only 13 people who received a thrombectomy in 2017 before the service was axed.
Robert Baldock
The treatment was his only hope of survival after scan revealed a large clot on his brain which left him with significant communication and mobility problems.
Mr Baldock, from East Lothian, joined CHSS in lobbying the Scottish Government to bring back thrombectomy as a national service.
He said: “Looking back the scariest moment was waiting to find out if I was going to be able to receive a life-saving thrombectomy and the stark possibility of not surviving if not.
“It’s fantastic to see the pilot service up and running in Lothian. We haven’t got the full national service we need yet, but this is a big step that will be life-changing for every person that receives a thrombectomy through this service.”
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CHSS chief executive Jane-Claire Judson said: “This is a welcome step forward for stroke care in Scotland and one step closer to a National Thrombectomy Service. However, we need to see this approach adopted across the rest of the country."
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Scottish Government remains committed to the roll-out of a national thrombectomy service by 2023 and has already invested more than £17 million in making this happen.
"I am delighted we are taking another significant step towards this objective, with the launch of a pilot service in the East of Scotland.”
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