Stroke, including Aneurysms & AVMS

Acute Stroke and Prevention: Community Lecture Webcast Now Available!

Every 45 seconds, someone in the US has a stroke. In fact, strokes are the third leading cause of death in America and the leading cause of disability among adults. The stroke experts at Georgetown University Hospital and Montgomery General Hospital offer stroke patients effective evaluations and timely treatments that improve quality of life and chances for a full recovery. Join our physicians to learn about the risk factors, causes, warning signs and latest treatment options for stroke.

Stroke is a form of cardiovascular disease that affects the brain or spinal cord. It occurs when the flow of blood to the brain or spinal cord is interrupted by a clogged blood vessel, or a blood vessel bursts causing a bleed. The lack of blood flow due to a clot causes brain damage that is called ischemic stroke. On the other hand “too much blood” in the form of a bleed from a ruptured vessel causes hemorrhagic stroke. Approximately 85% of strokes are ischemic strokes, and 15 % are hemorrhagic strokes. Ischemic strokes can be caused by heart disease, blood vessel diseases, blood disorders. Hemorrhagic strokes can be caused by a number of factors including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and brain hemorrhage from high blood pressure, among others. Trauma can cause both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Over the course of a lifetime, four out of five American families will be touched by a stroke. Annually, seven hundred thousand people will experience a stroke in the US. In fact, stroke is the third leading cause of death in America, killing 160,000 people each year, and is the leading cause of adult disability.

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Despite these sobering statistics, new approaches to treating stroke are helping to make a significant difference in outcome. While the key determinant is timing - as with a heart attack, it is essential to seek immediate care from the nearest emergency room -having the right combination of equipment, experience and expertise to prevent further stroke damage is also vital. Georgetown offers all three.

Our integrated emergency stroke team - composed of ED physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons and one of the region's most experienced interventional neuroradiology departments - is supported by new brain perfusion and noninvasive vascular imaging equipment and the MedSTAR ground and airborne transport system. At Georgetown, we treat all forms of stroke aggressively, with physician experts in both the surgical and nonsurgical treatment options. Through new techniques, we can restore blood flow to the brain, reduce new clot formation and reduce or prevent damage to nerve cells. Using state-of-the-art technology, the interventional neuroradiology department performs the most advanced minimally invasive procedures currently available.

Other advances allow Georgetown physicians to fill up and/or seal off the vascular disorder successfully with hair-thin platinum coils, adhesives or liquid plastics. For example, Georgetown is the only center in the region participating in a nationwide study of a promising new substance that seals off both aneurysms and AVMs, offering qualified patients the chance to benefit from the latest scientific thinking. These and other improvements in treating aneurysms and AVMs with minimally invasive procedures now offer many patients an option to open brain surgery.

The Georgetown Stroke team is also working on helping stroke victims recover from their disabilities with new rehabilitative therapies and research, and a stroke support group.

Next Steps

We're only a phone call away! To schedule an appointment with one of Georgetown’s neurosciences specialists, contact Georgetown MD at 202-342-2400. A nurse specialist will immediately assist you.