Our Approach
Team approach
Our unique approach draws on the talents and expertise of various neurovascular specialists who collaborate to make the best treatment choice for every patient. Our team includes neurosurgeons, interventional neuroradiologists, neurologists, neuropsychologists and neurointensivists. In fact, our medical staff includes some of the only neurointensivists (physician specialists in neurological intensive care) in the country.
This integrated approach may seem like standard practice, but the reality in many other hospitals is competition - not collaboration - between neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists. In hospitals where these turf wars are waged, all too often treatment decisions are based on financial incentives, not what is best for the patient. At the Center, our focus is always on saving lives and returning patients to the best possible quality of life.
Specialized neurointensive care
When hospitalized, neurovascular patients often need more than a standard intensive care unit (ICU) - they need a focus on treating the brain first. That's why we established a neuro-ICU to provide advanced monitoring and treatment for patients after brain surgery. In this unique setting, we provide around-the-clock care by specially trained nurses as well as some of the nation's only neurointensivists, physician specialists in neurological intensive care. This specialized approach to critical care improves outcomes for neuro patients by using innovative techniques to reduce pressure on the brain, prevent swelling and allow the brain to heal.
State-of-the-art technology
Patients at the National Brain Aneurysm Center have access to state-of-the-art technology and treatment, including biplane brain angiography and the CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System. Our doctors are aided by standard technology, such as computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Cutting-edge treatments
Our physicians are skilled at providing the most advanced surgical treatments for neurovascular conditions, including clipping and coiling. By focusing on vascular (blood vessel) and skull base surgery, we have gained tremendous experience and expertise in treating complex neurovascular conditions. We do more surgeries on unruptured brain aneurysms than other hospitals, with one of the highest volumes in the nation for these advanced surgical treatments. Our specialization and leadership in neurovascular care has resulted in better outcomes for our patients - saving lives and preserving quality of life.
Certified stroke center
Through our location at St. Joseph's Hospital, we have the first Primary Stroke Center in St. Paul certified by The Joint Commission, the nation's leading health care accreditation organization. Our success in improving outcomes for stroke patients has been recognized with the Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ for stroke care.
Quick access to care
With strokes and other neurovascular conditions, quick action is critical. Our "door-to-CT scan" and "door-to-drug" measures are consistently faster than the national average. This means that when a patient arrives in the emergency department, we are faster in getting CT images of the brain and then administering "clot-busting" drugs during a stroke. Our quick response is crucial in improving treatment and outcomes for our stroke patients.
