The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital marked a major step in expanding access to life-saving stroke treatment for stroke patients with blocked brain arteries.

Leading the procedure was Dr. Francis Angelo Basilio and Dr. Emmanuel Almazan through the hospital’s stroke service and Rapid Ultrasound in Shock (RUSH) team, restoring blood flow by removing a clot from a blocked brain artery before more brain tissue could die from lack of oxygen.

“It is a major artery. A large part of the brain can die. If nothing is done, the patient may experience severe symptoms. It can lead to disability or even death,” Basilio told the Varsitarian.

The recipient of the first thrombectomy was an 81-year-old patient who had lost movement on the right side of the body, a common symptom of stroke caused by disrupted brain function.

The patient was quickly assessed upon arrival at the emergency room and underwent Computed Tomography (CT), a scan that determines whether the brain tissue could still be saved and whether a major artery was blocked.

“When we assessed that it was truly a large vessel occlusion and that we could perform thrombectomy, we quickly brought the patient to the Cath Lab to carry out the procedure,” Basilio added.

The procedure used the Penumbra Aspiration System, which removes clots by suction through a thin tube, or catheter, inserted through a puncture near the groin and guided through blood vessels toward the blocked artery in the brain.

The team restored blood flow 12 minutes after activating the Penumbra engine, aspirating the clot in two attempts to remove the blockage.

After the procedure, the patient was said to have regained partial movement and responsiveness, though recovery remains ongoing because of age, preexisting comorbidities, and other medical conditions.

Basilio further asserted that mechanical thrombectomy is mainly used for ischemic strokes involving large vessel occlusions, which are often too severe to be treated by thrombolysis, a clot-dissolving drug treatment administered through medication.

While thrombolysis costs about P60,000 to P70,000 per vial, Basilio said thrombectomy devices alone may cost about P500,000, which is commonly paid out-of-pocket by Filipinos.  

About 19 specialists nationwide perform the procedure, leaving many regions without access to the intervention, including other barriers such as late hospital arrival, poor transport systems, and low public awareness, among others.

Basilio reminds the public to be responsive to the symptoms of stroke, which are facial drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty.

UST Hospital is now aiming to become a mechanical thrombectomy center for smaller hospitals in the area through a hub-and-spoke model, enabling stroke patients to be transferred more quickly and attended to.