When an ambulance rushed Fremont resident Charles Kiyasu to Washington
Hospital’s Emergency Department after he suffered a ruptured cerebral
aneurysm and stroke, he may not have realized how close he was to death.
Nor did he appreciate how fortunate he was to have the right advanced
medical program — equal to any top-flight academic medical center
in the country — here in his community.
A cerebral aneurysm is an abnormal bulge in the wall of an artery carrying
blood to the brain. Sometimes, pressure causes the bulge to rupture, sending
blood bursting into the natural fluid spaces inside and surrounding the brain.
“It is an immediate threat to life,” explains Jeffrey Thomas,
MD, a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon and medical director of the Cerebrovascular
Neurosurgery Program at Washington Hospital. “Mr. Kiyasu is one
of many patients we have treated who have experienced a miraculous recovery
from this death-dealing condition.”
As Kiyasu’s surgeon, Dr. Thomas is one of only a few board-certified
neurosurgeons in the country who regularly perform advanced techniques
to treat complex conditions affecting the arteries of the brain. This
means, patients have the optimal treatment for their individual condition
and the best possible outcome.
“Three weeks after being admitted, Mr. Kiyasu went home, having made
a nearly full recovery,” related Jack Rose, MD, a neurointensivist
who leads the Hospital’s neurocritical care team.
Washington Hospital’s program includes one of today’s most
sophisticated surgical facilities with recently completed biplane angiography
technology and a fully equipped and staffed Neurointensive Care Unit.
“The care I received was amazing,” said Kiyasu. “The
whole time I knew I was in the right hands.”
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