Monmouth County's Ask The Doctor July/August 2019

New Minimally Invasive Procedure Offers Brain Bleed Patients Safe and Effective Alternative to Open Surgery Minimally invasive technique also enables treatment for previously inoperable brain bleeds

Patients suffering from subdural hematomas – the type of brain bleed most often caused by head injuries – have traditionally had two options: brain surgery or finding a way to manage the symptoms, which can include dizziness, nausea, seizures and more. Now, Dr. Kyle Chapple and the team of neurosurgeons at Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists (ANS) – one of the largest neurosurgical practices in New Jersey and one of the most advanced in the coun- try – are advocating for a new, minimally invasive technique called endovascular embolization. Endovascular embolization enables neurosurgeons to safely and effectively treat subdural hematomas without open brain surgery. Instead, a catheter is inserted in a large blood vessel at the top of a patient’s leg and navigated up into the blood vessels in the head. Through that catheter, microscopic particles called embospheres are delivered to stop the bleeding. The procedure offers a solution for a much wider range of patients than an open craniotomy. Not everyone is a candidate for a crani- otomy given limitations on the use of general anesthesia for older patients and those with health complications.

Dr. Kyle Chapple, a board-certified neurosurgeon at Atlantic NeuroSurgi- cal Specialists (ANS), is the Principal Investigator for a new study focusing on the benefits of endovascular embo- lization for brain bleed patients.

“This allows significantly more people who truly need surgical intervention to get it,” adds Dr. Chapple. “Being a minimally invasive procedure, it also carries far fewer risks and potential side effects, and requires much less recovery time. In fact, patients can go home the very next day.” Dr. Chapple is the Principal Investigator for a new randomized study that compares patient outcomes from endovascular embolization versus traditional craniotomies. He notes, “At ANS, we have seen fantastic results in our patients who have undergone this procedure over the past few years, and we’re now in the process of generating formal medical research that we believe will support its safety and efficacy.” To learn more, contact Dr. Chapple at ANS at 973-285-7800 or visit www.ans- docs.com.

Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists (ANS) is New Jersey’s largest neurosurgical prac- tice and one of the most advanced in the country. Since its founding in 1958, ANS has specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the nervous system. For more information, visit www.ansdocs.com.

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JULY/AUGUST 2019