A nationwide clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke found that in the case of ischemic stroke (the most common type of stroke), patients treated with a t-PA, a clot dissolving drug, within the three-hour therapeutic window were 33 percent more likely to have minimal or no disability after three months. Unfortunately, many patients eligible for t-PA do not receive it due to patients' delay in getting to the hospital.

Upon arrival in the Holland Hospital Emergency Department, a potential stroke patient is evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, which tests for neurological deficits that signify a stroke. This test is then repeated throughout the patient's hospital stay.

In most cases, a CT scan of the head is performed to determine which type of stroke is occurring. The treatment for an ischemic stroke is to give medication that dissolves blood clots within three hours of the onset of symptoms. In the rare case of a hemorrhagic stroke (which is characterized by intracranial bleeding), a Holland Hospital neurosurgeon is alerted.

Thanks to the addition of our state-of-the-art stereotactic neurosurgery technology (SNT), Holland Hospital’s dedicated team of experts are able to perform some of the most complex and delicate procedures involving the brain.