Trentham father of two praises UHNM’s life-saving 24/7 stroke thrombectomy service

A Trentham father of two has praised the “fantastic care” provided to him by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust’s (UHNM) life-saving stroke thrombectomy service. 

Adam Sherwin, 37, underwent a mechanical thrombectomy procedure the Royal Stoke University Hospital after suffering a stroke in March this year. 

The car salesman was able to return home less than 72 hours after suffering his stroke thanks to UHNM’s seven-day service.

Speaking at a Thrombectomy Awareness Event today supported by UHNM Charity, Penumbra and Medtronic earlier today, Adam said: “I’d had a normal Friday evening at home and went to bed around midnight. At about 2am my wife woke to find me fidgeting and unable to move my left side. I couldn’t get myself off the floor and that’s when she realised I was having a stroke.

“The care I received at UHNM was fantastic from the moment I arrived. I remember it being cold outside the Royal Stoke and then seeing a face just before the procedure, and by 11am on the Saturday I was already back on the ward. By Monday night I was discharged, with the stroke nurses following up afterwards. I was back home less than 72 hours after the stroke and back at work two weeks later.

“I was determined the stroke wouldn’t overtake my life. By April I was back doing everything I was doing before, including walking the kids to school. A couple of colleagues sadly didn’t have the opportunity to have a thrombectomy, so I’m incredibly thankful I did. I’ve got two girls, Evalyn, 9, and Alice 5, and the procedure has allowed me to continue being part of their lives. It’s completely changed my outlook on the future.”

Adam’s wife Sarah said: “As soon as we arrived at UHNM the service was brilliant. Adam had his assessments and medication straightaway and, because the thrombectomy service runs 24/7 he was able to have the procedure there and then. Everything was done so quickly and efficiently. We feel very lucky to live so close to the hospital and to have Adam up and about so soon after his stroke.”
   
Ten per cent of Stroke admissions are eligible to be treated by mechanical thrombectomy in the UK. UHNM treats 12.8 per cent of stroke admissions with thrombectomy, compared to the national average of 4.7 per cent in England and successfully meets the national target by treating all thrombectomy-eligible stroke patients admitted directly to Royal Stoke.

The Royal Stoke University Hospital was one of the first UK site to have a dedicated 24/7 team to provide specialist care and treatment for patients who have a potentially life-changing stroke. Last year more than 250 stroke patients at UHNM benefited from the procedure.

The procedure involves carefully removing blood clots from deep within the brain, using a three foot-long wire. A stent at the end of the wire envelopes the clot and pulls it out, allowing blood to flow freely to the brain. This procedure is most effective when performed within six to 24 hours after stroke symptoms begin, with earlier interventions leading to better outcomes.

Although this treatment isn't available to all stroke patients, it has proved to be life-changing for many. Patients with the most severe strokes previously had a mortality risk of 50 per-cent, whereas this treatment has a direct impact on the patient population reducing mortality to 14 per cent, one of the lowest for such severe strokes in the UK.

Adam was joined at todays’ event by broadcaster Jennie Gow, who suffered a stroke three years ago then aged 45. 

Jennie said: “My stroke was caused by a cough that dissected my carotid artery. In 2022 I felt like I was living my dream, I was working on Netflix’s Drive to Survive, broadcasting on BBC Radio 5 Live and enjoying family life with my husband and daughter, but just after Christmas everything changed. 

“On 29 December the last thing I remember was being in the bathroom trying to clear what I thought was a lingering cold. My husband recognised the classic signs of stroke straightaway, my right side had dropped and I couldn’t speak. After he called 999 I was taken to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, where the team quickly diagnosed and treated me.

“My rehabilitation was slow and painful, and I had to learn how to do almost everything again. Without the thrombectomy, I don’t know what would have happened to me, and I was desperate to get back to the work and life I loved.

“I want to thank everyone involved in making stroke thrombectomy more widely available. I’m a very proud stroke survivor. Not everyone is able to return to the person they were before, but it’s important not to run away from what’s happened. Through my journey I’ve met so many incredible people who have had a stroke or been touched by stroke, and I feel very lucky to be able to share my story and support the ongoing work to make thrombectomy accessible for more patients.”

Consultant Interventional Neuroradiologist Dr Sanjeev Nayak said: “Stroke thrombectomy is one of the most transformative treatments in modern medicine, thanks to it patients are able to walk back to their loved ones. At UHNM, we were the first hospital in the UK to offer a 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy service, and we’ve very much led the way nationally. We’re incredibly proud to receive this high praise, because it reflects our dedication to patients across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, and beyond.”