Wingard
Stroke Institute

Before you or a loved one experience a stroke it’s important to know that the Wingard Stroke Institute at NCH is committed to better stroke care for you. Cutting-edge techniques along with advanced technology and our highly skilled and experienced stroke team means we can deliver FAST stroke care when you need it.

Until recently, there has been only one proven therapy for ischemic stroke: clot-busting drugs called tPA. Thanks to groundbreaking research, another treatment is now available: mechanical thrombectomy. The procedure itself, performed at NCH as the only certified facility in Southwest Florida, is minimally invasive and involves threading a catheter (thin plastic tube) through a blood vessel, usually in the groin, and up to the blood clot to clear it out and allow blood to flow freely again. Studies have shown that patients who have a mechanical thrombectomy recover faster and have an improved quality of life compared to those patients using clot-busting tPAs alone. Since blood clots are a serious medical condition, fast and effective treatment is essential.

At NCH, we have interventional neuroradiologists specially trained to perform mechanical thrombectomies. If you or a loved one are at increased risk for stroke, make sure you know the warning signs. And, if possible, choose a hospital for stroke care, like NCH, where many different stroke therapies, including mechanical thrombectomies, are available.