Armenian Doctors Save Life of 43-Year-Old Man Affected by Stroke and COVID-19

Armenian doctors have saved the life of a patient suffering from a stroke and COVID-19. This information is reported by the "Erebuni" Medical Center's Facebook page.

According to the announcement, a 43-year-old man was admitted to the "Erebuni" Medical Center with a sudden onset of severe headache and high blood pressure. Upon entering the medical center, all necessary examinations were immediately conducted, including CT scans of the brain and CT angiography, chest CT, and laboratory tests.

The patient was hospitalized in the intensive care unit. The examinations revealed that the patient had two saccular aneurysms (dilations) in the arteries of the brain, where the weakness of the vessel wall led to a rupture and the development of severe hemorrhaging around the brain. In this situation, the patient's life was in serious danger, especially in the case of double hemorrhaging.

The situation became even more complicated when the patient's COVID-19 test result returned positive.

To save the patient from double hemorrhaging, a decision was made by David Sahakyan, head of the Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery Department, to perform an endovascular surgery to reinforce the damaged arteries. This intervention required high levels of professionalism, skill, and coordinated work from the surgical and anesthesiology teams, as the structural characteristics of the aneurysms presented a very high risk of intraoperative hemorrhaging or ischemic stroke.

The presence of COVID-19 in the patient increased the risks for both the treatment of the stroke and also posed a danger to the entire surgical team. This aspect necessitated conducting this complex intervention under even more challenging conditions, implementing stringent measures to prevent the spread of infection. In addition to the lead protective clothing used for radiation protection in such surgeries, the staff also wore antiviral protective gear and special masks.

Thanks to the professionalism of the surgical and anesthesiology teams, the surgery was performed at a high level and without complications. Subsequent treatment for both the hemorrhaging and COVID-19 infection was properly conducted through the collaborative efforts of the intensive care, neurology, neurosurgery, and therapeutic teams.

As a result of this team effort, the patient overcame all challenges, was discharged in recovery, and returned home to his family.