New initiative aims to improve surgical care for hemorrhagic stroke

Hemorrhagic strokes account for just 13% of the nearly 800,000 strokes that occur in the U.S. each year, yet they are responsible for more than 40% of all stroke-related deaths. These devastating brain bleeds have long lacked standardized surgical treatment protocols, limiting patient recovery options.

In response, the American Heart Association, devoted to changing the future of health for all, is launching a new nationwide initiative to accelerate the adoption of effective surgical approaches, including minimally invasive techniques, to improve outcomes for people affected by intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

The Hemorrhagic Stroke Surgical Quality Improvement Initiative, supported financially by Stryker, will identify and amplify national models of effective ICH care, including the use of minimally invasive parafascicular surgery (MIPS). MIPS is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a tubular retractor to navigate through the brain's natural folds, along with a powered instrument designed to remove clots and help prevent damage. Research has shown that when performed within 24 hours of a brain bleed, MIPS may lead to better recovery outcomes at six months compared to standard treatments.

The ability to share data and accelerate learning is critical to improving stroke care. Through this initiative, we hope to reduce the devastating outcomes associated with hemorrhagic stroke by improving access to surgical interventions proven to improve patient recovery."

Kevin Sheth, M.D., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer, chair of the Association's ICH Science Advisory Group and director of the Yale Center for Brain & Mind Health

Fifteen hospitals across the U.S. will participate in a learning collaborative, using data from the Association's Get With The Guidelines^® - Stroke registry, which tracks approximately three-quarters of the nation's stroke hospitalizations. These selected sites will analyze ICH care data and clinical workflows to identify successful models that could be scaled nationally:

• Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee
• Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland
• DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital in Detroit
• Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, California
• Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey
• Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis
• Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston
• Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston
• Montefiore Medical Center-Moses Campus in Bronx, New York
• Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania
• SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis
• The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas
• UCI Medical Center in Orange, California
• University Medical Center of El Paso in El Paso, Texas
• Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut

Criteria for site selection included demonstrated leadership in MIPS, infrastructure readiness and interest in expanding ICH surgical options.