MEDTRONIC PLC | Medtronic Supports First Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp for Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Held in Minnesota |
Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Relax, Unwind and Recharge in Supportive Environment with the Help of Abbott Northwestern Hospital DUBLIN - July 30, 2015 - Medtronic will sponsor Minnesota's first Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp (Stroke Camp), a three-day retreat for stroke survivors, caregivers and family members being held Aug. 7-9, 2015 in Ironwood Springs, Minnesota, in association with Abbott Northwestern Hospital, part of Allina Health. This is the second of four rehabilitative camps sponsored by Medtronic this year, in partnership with local area hospitals and Stroke Camp founder Marylee Nunley. "The impact of stroke spreads out like a wave," said Dr. Josser Delgado, a Counsulting Radiologists, Ltd. (CRL) interventional neuroradiologist at Abbott Northwestern. "Patients, families, companies, communities - they are all harmed by a single stroke. That is why we knew we wanted to be part of Stroke Camp. It connects patients and caregivers dealing with a new reality and offers a healing respite where survivors may share their struggles in a safe, caring space. We thank Medtronic for enabling this opportunity." Stroke Camp offers a restorative experience for stroke survivors and their caregivers, most often a spouse or sibling, in an engaging, medically-supervised setting. With the help of volunteers, participants are provided an opportunity to relax and enjoy recreational activities reminiscent of summer camp. "As physicians, we work every day to prevent and minimize the disabling impact of stroke," said Dr. Alexander A. Khalessi, director of Endovascular Neurosurgery and surgical director of Neurocritical Care at University of California, San Diego (USCD). "Stroke Camp moves beyond acute hospital care and allows patients and caregivers to celebrate successes and support one another through setbacks. Our UCSD team was incredibly gratified to support our retreat this past January in La Jolla; we salute our colleagues at Abbott Northwestern Hospital as they continue to carry the torch in Minnesota." Medtronic, with offices in Minneapolis, develops medical devices to treat stroke. Its Solitaire(TM) stent retriever device uses a micro-sized catheter to access arteries in the brain affected by stroke through an incision in the leg. In conjunction with IV t-PA treatment, the Solitaire device helps to immediately restore blood flow and remove the blood clot causing the stroke. Five clinical trials recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) primarily assessed the addition of stent devices to IV t-PA treatment, including the Solitaire device, and found that the addition of the Solitaire device reduced disability and improved neurological outcomes in patients suffering stroke.i,ii,iii,iv,v Viet Le, a 46-year-old Minnesota-based high school math teacher, triathlete and tennis coach, was jogging when he experienced his first stroke. After receiving IV t-PA treatment and Medtronic's Solitaire stent retriever device at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, and engaging vigorously in rehabilitation, Viet was able to walk and speak again in just two months. Despite an active, healthy lifestyle, Viet experienced his second stroke less than a year later and was again treated with the Solitaire device. "I was determined to regain my mobility," Viet said after his second stroke. "I'm so thankful for the team at Abbott Northwestern Hospital for the immediate treatment and long-term support. I want to do everything I can to encourage stroke survivors and their support teams to stay strong as they take back their lives." Viet will share his recovery story with Stroke Camp participants in August. Stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks a blood vessel in the brain. It is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of long-term disability.v If a person is exhibiting signs of numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, or having trouble speaking, seeing or walking, call 9-1-1 and seek treatment immediately. The grant for the Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp is funded by Medtronic's community outreach program.
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About Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp(TM)
About Abbott Northwestern Hospital Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. -end- i Berkhemer, Olvert A., Puck S. S. Fransen, Debbie Beumer, den Berg van, Hester F. Lingsma, Albert J. Yoo, Wouter J. Schonewille, et al. 2015. A randomized trial of intraarterial treatment for acute ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med 372 (1) (01/01; 2015/04): 11-20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1411587. ii Campbell, Bruce C. V., Peter J. Mitchell, Timothy J. Kleinig, Helen M. Dewey, Leonid Churilov, Nawaf Yassi, Bernard Yan, et al. 2015. Endovascular therapy for ischemic stroke with perfusion-imaging selection. N Engl J Med 372 (11) (03/12; 2015/04): 1009-18, http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1414792. iii Goyal, Mayank, Andrew M. Demchuk, Bijoy K. Menon, Muneer Eesa, Jeremy L. Rempel, John Thornton, Daniel Roy, et al. 2015. Randomized assessment of rapid endovascular treatment of ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med 372 (11) (03/12; 2015/04): 1019-30, http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1414905. iv Saver, Jeffrey L., Mayank Goyal, Alain Bonafe, Hans-Christoph Diener, Elad I. Levy, Vitor M. Pereira, Gregory W. Albers, et al. 2015. Stent-retriever thrombectomy after intravenous t-PA vs. t-PA alone in stroke. N Engl J Med (04/17; 2015/04), http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1415061. v Jovin, Tudor G., Angel Chamorro, Erik Cobo, María A. de Miquel, Carlos A. Molina, Alex Rovira, Luis San Román, et al. 2015. Thrombectomy within 8 hours after symptom onset in ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med (04/17; 2015/04), http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1503780.
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