Rambam’s Brain Catheterization Unit, which usually performs up to three brain catheterizations per day, recently performed eight urgent surgeries within 24 hours – all with successful outcomes.
In the photo: Dr. Eitan Abergel, Director of the Invasive Neuroradiology Unit, and Dr. Dana Baron Shahaf, Anesthesiologist. Photography: Rambam Spokesperson’s Office.
The Brain Catheterization Unit at Rambam Health Care Campus, which is used to performing two or three brain catheterizations each day, faced a challenge recently –eight such procedures in one day. The patients ranged in age from 22 through 89. They suffered from either aneurysms or strokes – including one young man who had forgotten to take his prescribed blood thinner medication, which led to a blood clot in his brain, causing a stroke and full paralysis on the left side of his body. “Treatment had to be swift and precise,” explained Dr. Eitan Abergel, Director of the Invasive Neuroradiology Unit. Other cases included patients transferred to Rambam from other Israeli hospitals.
“It started as a normal day in the department, which included appointments with patients and one scheduled catheterization in the morning,” recalled Abergel. “This unusual day required work around the clock for a relatively small team, including making arrangements with very little warning in the early hours of the night. Brain catheterization is often the final option in difficult cases, and this procedure can save lives and help to avoid irreversible damage,” he added.
Despite the uncommonly heavy workload, all eight brain catheterization procedures performed by Abergel’s team had successful outcomes. “It was intense and exhausting, but this is why we’re here,” he said.