Scripps Only Hospital in the Region to Test New Stroke Treatment Device

Acute ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the developed world and the leading cause of serious long-term disability. Ischemic stroke represents over 85 percent of strokes and occurs when a blockage or clot develops in one of the arteries supplying blood to the brain. The goal of intervention is to remove the clot from the vessel, thereby restoring blood flow to the brain.

“Scripps has consistently been on the forefront of advancing technology and ensuring that our patients are offered the best possible stroke care,” said John Barr, MD, interventional neuroradiologist at Scripps Health and principal investigator of the clinical trial at Scripps La Jolla. “Our participation in the clinical evaluation of devices such as this one is critical to bringing new treatment options to acute stroke patients in the area.”

The Trevo Retriever is a minimally invasive, catheter device that restores blood flow in larger vessels of the brain by removing blood clots in patients experiencing an ischemic stroke. The clinical trial determined that rates of functional independence at 90 days for patients treated with the new Trevo Retriever were significantly better than those of patients treated with the older Merci device. Other measures of performance also strongly favored the Trevo Retriever, including improvement in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and shorter hospital stays.

The TREVO 2 Study (Thrombectomy REvascularization of large Vessel Occlusions in acute ischemic stroke) was a randomized, multicenter, prospective trial approved by the Food and Drug Administration to evaluate the Trevo Retrieval System. The TREVO 2 Study was designed to assess the ability of the Trevo System to remove the blood clots that cause strokes and to restore blood flow to the brain.

All five Scripps hospital campuses are designated as Primary Stroke Centers. Since 2000, The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, has surveyed hospitals for certification as Primary Stroke Centers.

Primary Stroke Center standards of care reflect the guidelines established by the American Stroke Association; the designation confirms that the hospital always has available a team of physicians who provides the most up-to-date and efficient stroke care, along with the tools and expertise to treat acute stroke quickly and competently to minimize or even reverse damage to the patient’s health.

Scripps La Jolla was the second hospital in California to use the Trevo Pro 4, the latest version of the Trevo device, as a part of the clinical trial.

Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a $2.5 billion nonprofit integrated health system based in San Diego, Calif. Scripps treats a half-million patients annually through the dedication of 2,600 affiliated physicians and 13,500 employees among its five acute-care hospital campuses, home health care services, and an ambulatory care network of physician offices and 23 outpatient centers and clinics.

Recognized as a leader in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, Scripps is also at the forefront of clinical research, genomic medicine, wireless health care and graduate medical education. With three highly respected graduate medical education programs, Scripps is a longstanding member of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Scripps has been consistently recognized by Fortune, Working Mother magazine and AARP as one of the best places in the nation to work. More information can be found at www.scripps.org.