Medical Center Plano landmark operation

The nation’s first intracranial removal of a brain hemorrhage using two innovative technologies, the Apollo System and intraoperative imaging, was performed at The Medical Center of Plano by Dr. Brent Morgan, the hospital reported on Dec. 1. The process enables brain hemorrhages, an emergency condition in which a ruptured blood vessel causes bleeding deep inside the brain, to be removed within the skull in a minimally invasive surgery.

The Apollo system works like a blood clot vacuum, using suction, irrigation and gentle vibration within a small metal wand to remove soft tissue and fluid. The Apollo System was coupled with a portable scanner which allowed a CT scan to be performed during the operation, ensuring the majority of the hematoma was successfully evacuated before leaving the operating room.

“We are able to provide healing for hemorrhagic stroke patients, those experiencing a deep brain clot that may not have successful outcomes in other circumstances,” said Morgan, medical director of neurosurgery at the hospital. “We do this by utilizing our leading-edge technological resources and thinking beyond the current limits.”

Morgan collaborated with Texas Stroke Institute under the direction of Dr. Vallabh Janardhan, to achieve this milestone in the treatment of hemorrhagic strokes. The Texas Stroke Institute is the first comprehensive brain attack system of care in North Texas encompassing three certified and designated comprehensive stroke centers and seven certified and designated primary stroke centers including The Medical Center of Plano. – Robert Francis