Cerebral Angiography is an invasive procedure where a catheter is introduced through the cerebral arteries in order to diagnose cerebral arterial thrombosis and inject a drug to dissolve the clot and renew blood supply to the affected area.

This procedure was not available until now and it was performed recently successfully on an 80 year old man who came in with left hemiparesis. The patient was treated immediately with TPA intravenously according to the protocol but after the procedure there was no improvement. So the physicians decided that there is a need for intravascular intervention.

Dr. Sakagio Zvika, the neuroradiologist who specializes in cerebral intravascular interventions, performed the cerebral angiography and located the clot in the middle cerebral artery. Local intraarterial TPA was infused with successful reperfusion of the ischemic area. The patient was transferred to the stroke unit for further follow up. His condition improved quickly and he was able to move his left arm and leg again. The patient left the hospital on his feet.

Dr. Sakagio said the Barzilai Medical Center is proud to provide this important and life saving service to the people of Ashkelon and the surrounding area.

Prof. Levy, the head of the Barzilai Medical Center, said that he was satisfied that after intensive efforts and the approval of the ministry of health we performed the first cerebral angiography and intracerebral intervention to revascularize the brain of the patient. It is a great step for the development of the medical service at the Barzilai Medical Center for the sake of the patients who need this life saving intervention.

Mr. Tomer Glam, the Mayor of Ashkelon, congratulated Prof Levy and the medical staff for introducing and performing this type of life saving procedure. He added that the accessibility of the procedure at the Barzilai Medical Center is a great gift to the people of Ashkelon and to the public health, it is one of many other services which we intend to proceed with for the health of the people of Ashkelon.

These below pictures show the revascularized middle cerebral artery with its opened branches after local intra-arterial infusion of the clot dissolving drug .