Helicopter transport for stroke patients decreases time to surgery, new study finds

(Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery) The sooner that a severe stroke patient can access thrombectomy, the more likely they are to experience a good outcome. A new study shows that using emergency helicopter ambulance services to transfer a patient to a hospital that can perform a stroke thrombectomy--a minimally invasive surgery which removes the blood clot in the brain causing the stroke--ensures faster access to potentially life-saving care.