Study Shows Black Patients with Stroke Undergo Neuroendovascular Surgery Less Often than White Patients Due to Less Frequent Diagnosis of Large Artery Blockage
CONTACT: Maria Enie
menie@vancomm.com or 202-248-5454
Study Shows Black Patients with Stroke Undergo Neuroendovascular Surgery Less Often than White Patients Due to Less Frequent Diagnosis of Large Artery Blockage
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Black patients are less likely than white patients to undergo a potentially lifesaving, minimally-invasive surgery known as thrombectomy to remove blood clots from arteries in the brain according to a study presented today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s (SNIS) 18th Annual Meeting.
The study, “Racial Disparity in Mechanical Thrombectomy Utilization: Multicenter Registry Results from 2016-2020,” analyzed the records of 34,596 patients across five years, 42 hospitals and 12 states and found that Black stroke patients were 28% less likely than white patients to receive thrombectomy care. Stroke caused by blockage of a large artery in the brain must be diagnosed as soon as possible because the effectiveness of thrombectomy in reducing disability decreases with time. However, the researchers found that Black patients were 27% less likely than white patients to arrive at the hospital within five hours of stroke onset and 30% less likely to be diagnosed with blockage of a large artery in the brain when they arrived. The authors note that further research is needed to assess whether these disparities can be reduced by community stroke education, technologies that allow thrombectomy to be performed later after stroke onset, and more aggressive patient screening for brain artery blockages.
“Black patients in the U.S. consistently experience worse health outcomes than white patients, leading to staggering racial health gaps,” said Adam Wallace, MD, lead author on the study and a neurointerventional surgeon at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “It’s imperative that we take steps to ensure that all stroke patients are treated with the utmost urgency and receive optimal care, including surgery when appropriate, so they can experience the highest quality of life after stroke.”
To receive a copy of this abstract or to speak with the study authors, please contact Maria Enie at menie@vancomm.com or 202-248-5454.
About the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery
The Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) is a scientific and educational association dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurointerventional surgery through research, standard-setting and education and advocacy to provide the highest quality of patient care in diagnosing and treating diseases of the brain, spine, head and neck. Visit www.snisonline.org and follow us on Twitter (@SNISinfo) and Facebook (@SNISOnline).