Neurosciences Institute - Neurology - Stroke Program - Treatment Programs & Services

Neuroendovascular Division
Drs. Alan Boulos and Dileep Yavagal, are co-direcors of the Neuroendovascular Division of the Neurosciences Institute and provide minimally invasive treatment for acute stroke patients in a state-of-the-art bi-plane radiology suite.

Alan Boulos, MD & Mike Degonzague, RT review films.	Alan Boulos, MD performing cerebral angiogram.

Treatments provided at Albany Medical Center include:

• Intra-arterial thrombolysis and mechanical clot retrieval for ischemic stroke
• Carotid angioplasty and stent placement
• Intra-cranial angioplasty and stent placement
• Coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms for subarachnoid hemorrhage

Merci Retrieval System
Albany Medical Center is the first in the region to offer stroke patients emergency treatment with a new corkscrew-shaped device that pulls blood clots out of arteries in the brain. Clinical testing has shown it can extend the time window for treatment of a stroke patient up to 8 hours.
The device is inserted into the blocked artery through a catheter, which is fed into the femoral artery in the leg, up through the aorta, and into an artery leading to the brain.	Once the clot has been reached, the corkscrew device  is deployed to ensnare the clot.	A balloon is inflated to temporarily stop blood flow while the clot is being withdrawn. The clot is pulled into the catheter and completely out of the body. The balloon is then deflated, and blood flow is restored.
The Neurosciences Institute's Stroke Program is the only certified stroke program in Northeastern New York to offer this comprehensive stroke treatment capability.