At UBMD Neurology, our board-certified vascular neurologists are nationally recognized as leaders in acute stroke care. Our teams’ expertise and commitment to excellence has been instrumental in Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute being awarded the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

What is a stroke?

A stroke is a medical emergency in which the blood supply to the brain is interrupted due to a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or leaking/bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke) in the brain.

Symptoms of stroke include trouble walking, speaking, and understanding, as well as paralysis or numbness of the face, arm, or leg.

What are cerebrovascular diseases?

Cerebrovascular diseases refer to any disorders that involves a person losing blood flow to the brain. While strokes may be the most well-known cerebrovascular diseases, it is one of many. Cerebrovascular disease includes carotid stenosis, vertebral stenosis and intracranial stenosis, aneurysms, and vascular malformations.

Common types of strokes:

• Hemorrhagic Stroke: Bleeding within the brain when weakened blood vessels rupture and bleed.

  • Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Bleeding occurs from the blood vessels and blood collects within the brain tissue. Poorly controlled blood pressure and diabetes can damage the arterial blood vessels and cause this type of hemorrhagic stroke.

  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Bleeding occurs from blood vessels on the surface of the brain and collects around the brain. Sometimes this is caused by a ruptured aneurysm (a weak or thin spot on anterior blood vessel). Over time the aneurysm can balloon and rupture. An aneurysm may be present at birth or develop over years. It may not cause symptoms or problem until it ruptures and leaks blood around the brain.

• Ischemic Stroke: A type of stroke that occurs when an artery bringing blood to the brain is suddenly blocked. The blockage may be due to a blood clot, thrombus, or embolus which can form for many reasons.

  • Thrombus: Occurs when a blood clot forms within an artery leading to or in the brain. When a fatty substance, such as cholesterol, forms plaque in the lining of blood vessel the opening in the blood vessel will gradually narrow. This condition is called atherosclerosis. The plaque may break off or allow a blood clot to form, blocking a blood vessel and causing a stroke.

  • Embolus: Occurs when a blood clot is formed in an artery in another part of the body, such as heart, neck, or legs. A piece of that blood clot breaks loose, becomes the embolus, and travels to an artery in the brain where it blocks blood flow. Ischemic stroke is more commonly caused by embolus.

• Trainset Ischemic Attack “ TIA”: not a stroke, but the signs and symptoms look like stroke. Like an ischemic stroke, the symptoms are caused when blood flow to a part of the brain is suddenly cut off, but only for short period of time.  The brain cells and not working normally, however the blood flow restarts before the brain cells start to die.  Symptoms usually last less than 1 hour but no more than 24 hours.  TIA symptoms should be treated seriously, as a TIA is often a warning sign for a stroke to follow.

Signs and symptoms of stroke:

• Sudden weakness, paralysis or numbness of the face, arm and leg on one or both sides of the body

• Sudden loss of speech or difficulty speaking or understanding speech

• Sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in only one eye

• Sudden unexplained dizziness (especially when associated with other neurologic symptoms), unsteadiness or sudden falls

• Sudden severe headache and/or loss of consciousness

If any of these symptoms are present, CALL 9-1-1 and seek medical help immediately.

Other services provided:

• Botox/Dysport for post-stroke spasticity