GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A West Michigan man became one of the first patients in the country to undergo a surgery that used a new catheter to treat his stroke. The device allows doctors to gain access to blockages in a person’s brain through their hand.
In December, 76-year-old Newaygo man Jerry Densmore suffered a serious stroke, which left half of his body numb. First responders rushed him to Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids.
At the hospital, doctors put a Zoom RDL radial access system in his hand.
“I had a little hole in my arm, my wrist, and it didn’t look any worse than like an IV was in there,” said Densmore.
Corewell Health says that a handful of people have been helped with the device since last fall.
According to Dr. Justin Singer, Neuroendovascular Program Director at Corewell Health, doctors usually insert tubes through an artery in the leg to gain access to a blockage. However, anatomy sometimes makes that difficult.
“What this helps us do is, in patients who have this twisty, or tortuosity, sometimes the preferred route because the angles are more favorable, is to go from the wrist,” said Dr. Singer. “And we can much more efficiently and quickly access to the arteries by bypassing all the twisting and other places that come and getting straight here.”
Dr. Singer also says that if doctors can access a clot faster, it increases a person’s likelihood of survival. It also lowers certain risks.
“I mean, patients being mobilized quickly, we can reduce bleeding complications,” said Dr. Singer. “Overall, if we can help more patients in this way, and do it quickly and more efficiently, these other issues that we worry about following procedures can really mitigate overall.”
Shortly after Denmore had the procedure, he began to speak and walk.
“Just remarkable,” said Denmore’s wife Cheryl. “I mean, I know people have had strokes that are still learning to walk and talk and, you know, balance, and he’s just, I still can’t believe it. I cannot believe that he’s doing as good as he’s doing.”
According to Corewell Health, older adults who experienced a stroke are the most ideal candidate for the device. However, they also plan to use it in brain aneurysm cases.
