Promoting National Stroke Planning in Paraguay

“…por falta de los insumos…” (due to lack of supplies)

This was the phrase we kept hearing from patient after patient as we interviewed the seven people selected for interventional radiology procedures on our Neurosurgery & Neurology Institute (NNI) trip to the Hospital Nacional de Itauguá (HNI) in Paraguay. They had various cerebral vascular disorders, but were unable to access the supplies needed to treat them. So they waited, hoping that their symptoms wouldn't further disable them or become fatal before they could find a solution. 

While in the U.S. it is possible to treat patients suffering from ischemic strokes and aneurysms within 24 hours, in Paraguay patients may wait for months or years for treatment, if they receive it at all. On this trip, with a generous donation of endovascular materials from Stryker, seven patients were able to access treatment after many years of waiting.

Luz, a 62-year-old mother of 10, told us she had been waiting 11 years for treatment of a giant brain aneurysm. She had traveled to Argentina twice in attempts to find care there, only to return disappointed because doctors were not available to perform the surgery. After her second attempt, she returned home saying “I decided I wanted to just die in my own country, in my own house.” 

While neuroendovascular therapies are rapidly evolving and improving the diagnosis and clinical treatment of both ischemic stroke and intracranial aneurysms, these therapies are widely out of reach in countries like Paraguay. Stroke remains a leading cause of death in Latin America. Many countries have committed to improving stroke care, but there are countless gaps to address. 

Stryker representatives Liliana Acosta (l) and Jared Bouis (r) discuss equipment with neurointerventional surgeon Dr. Nick Telischak of Stanford Medicine and Paraguayan partner Dr. David Cuevas.

The Neurosurgery and Neurology Institute of Solidarity Bridge is responding to this need by partnering with the Paraguayan Neurosurgical Society, the Paraguayan Ministry of Health, as well as neurosurgeons and neuroendovascular specialists from the largest public hospitals in the country. Through these partnerships and interventions, the NNI hopes to serve as a catalyst for greater national investment in national stroke planning. Long-term sustainable outcomes will depend on the mobilization of government, industry, and institutional partners working together to develop national policies for stroke intervention. The benefit of stroke intervention is so high that it is justifiable for health leaders to invest in these long-term outcomes. 

Stryker’s participation played an important role in making neuroendovascular care accessible for patients in need. These patients treated didn’t have to worry about “falta de los insumos” or a catastrophic stroke as they returned to their homes, their families, and the rest of their lives. We are committed to collaboratively developing a sustainable path forward to ensure that future patients won’t have to wait so long for lifesaving care.