UPMC’s experts are national leaders in stroke intervention therapy techniques. We use a team-based approach to achieve the best possible outcomes in stroke treatment— providing world-class care, starting in the Emergency Department, and continuing through:
- Inpatient care and surgery.
- Radiology and imaging services.
- Rehabilitation services.
What Are Stroke Intervention & Intra-Arterial Thrombosis Services?
At UPMC, we offer advanced or investigational stroke interventions and therapies that are not widely available, including cutting-edge stroke treatments, intra-arterial thrombolytic treatment, intra-arterial clot removal, and endovascular neurosurgical procedures.
What Stroke Conditions Do We Treat?
We treat all types of conditions caused by blood clots that block blood flow to the brain, as well as many other head and neck neurovascular diseases, including:
- Brain aneurysms.
- Brain AV fistula and AVMs.
- Brain venous sinus stenosis or blockage.
- Carotid artery stenosis.
- Hemorrhagic stroke.
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
- Ischemic stroke.
- Pulsatile tinnitus.
- Vertebral-basilar insufficiency.
- Other neurovascular diseases.
Who’s Eligible for Stroke Intervention & Intra-Arterial Thrombosis Services?
You may be eligible for stroke intervention and intra-arterial thrombosis services if you are having a stroke or another condition that occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow.
What Stroke Intervention & Intra-Arterial Thrombosis Services Do We Offer?
Your doctor will select the therapy that will most effectively treat your condition with the lowest risk of complications.
Treatment options include:
- Mechanical thrombectomy — During a mechanical thrombectomy, physicians remove the blockage to restore blood flow. A catheter is threaded through your blood vessels to the site of the clot, and your doctor uses a special device to remove the clot by breaking it up or using suction.
- Intra-arterial thrombolytic (IAT) — Treatment involves using a long, thin tube called a catheter that is threaded through your blood vessel to the site of the blood clot. The catheter delivers thrombolytic (clot-busting) drugs directly to the clot that is causing the stroke.
Common clot-busting medications include:
- Alteplase (tPA) — The most common medication used to treat ischemic strokes.
- Tenecteplase (TNKase) — Can effectively dissolve clots with less risk of bleeding.
IAT delivers a relatively high dose of medication directly to the clot, which may make it more effective and cause fewer side effects than delivering clot-busting drugs to your whole body through an IV infusion.
What Can I Expect?
When you arrive at the hospital Emergency Department, your doctors will perform tests to diagnose stroke and recommend the best stroke intervention option for you.
Why Choose UPMC for Stroke Intervention & Intra-Arterial Thrombosis Services?
When you choose UPMC for stroke intervention and intra-arterial thrombosis services, you will receive:
- Access to world-class stroke expertise — UPMC is among the world’s best multidisciplinary stroke centers, offering comprehensive care using the latest medications and therapies.
- A full range of treatment options — We offer nonsurgical and minimally invasive stroke care, as well as traditional open surgical procedures, allowing us to effectively treat all types of strokes while reducing your risk of complications.
- Multidisciplinary care — We partner with neurologists, rehabilitation specialists, and other medical experts to provide complete care that optimizes your recovery and quality of life.
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-10-23.
