Time Is Brain

On July 29, 2018, at 10:30 p.m., a momentous event occurred at Indian River Medical Center. The first stroke thrombectomy, an emergency removal of a blood clot from an artery in the brain, was performed by interventional neurologist Dr. Vikas Gupta. This innovative procedure involves threading a catheter through an artery in the groin up into the brain and using a stent retriever to remove the clot through the groin.

In a greatly fortuitous happening for Vero Beach, Indian River Medical Center has partnered with the Arubah Neuroscience Institute to create a state-of–the-art stroke facility capable of treating the most complex cerebrovascular diseases.

In 2018, three brilliant doctors brought the Arubah Neuroscience Institute to Indian River Medical Center with its revolutionary thrombectomy procedure. Drs. Akram Shhadeh and Ayman Gheith founded the institute in 2015, and Dr. Gupta joined them the following year. Gupta says, “The Arubah Neuroscience Institute is a culmination of partnership between three neurology specialists with fellowship training in three complex fields: neurocritical care, vascular neurology and intervention neurology/endovascular surgical neuroradiology. The institute offers diagnosis and treatment of patients with complex cerebrovascular disorder.”

Every year, 795,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke. Of that number, 140,000 die. A stroke occurs in the U.S. every 40 seconds.