Stroke Program
New Program Provides Stroke Care Close to Home
With every 40 seconds that ticks by, a person somewhere in the United States suffers from a stroke. Stroke is the 5th-leading cause of death in the country and a major cause of serious disability in adults.
The good news is that 80 percent of all strokes are preventable, and for those having a stroke, advances in medical treatment have led to higher survival rates. The right care —administered the right way and as quickly as possible—has the power to save lives and prevent long-term disability.
Our Stroke Program
The Stroke Program at Southern California Hospital at Culver City brings together highly trained stroke specialists and advanced technology to offer patients the best possible treatments. Our multidisciplinary team manages stroke patients in a unit exclusively dedicated to stroke care. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide care for patients in time-sensitive situations where every second counts.
We diagnose, treat, and manage patients suffering from a stroke according to evidence-based guidelines set by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Our stroke program can address the needs of patients with the following conditions:
- Ischemic stroke: Occurs when a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain is obstructed. This type of stroke accounts for 87 percent of all strokes.
- Hemorrhagic stroke: Occurs when a weakened blood vessel, such an aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation (AVM), ruptures and causes bleeding in the brain. This type of stroke accounts for 13 percent of all strokes.
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA): A temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain, sometimes called a mini-stroke. Roughly 12 percent of TIAs precede a full-blown stroke.
Our team includes experienced neurologists, neurosurgeons, emergency medicine physicians, radiologists, nurses, and therapists to help patients at every stage of stroke care. From primary prevention and immediate treatment of stroke to follow-up care and rehabilitation, we offer comprehensive care that focuses on saving the lives of patients and maintaining their independence.
Stroke Treatment
When a patient with stroke symptoms presents to our hospital, the team mobilizes and prepares to give time-sensitive treatments. The options for immediate treatment our program offers include:
- Clot-busting medication: Within the 4.5 hours of the first stroke symptoms, patients may receive a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a drug that breaks up blood clots. tPA improves the chances of recovering from a stroke.
- Thrombectomy: Minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove a blood clot from an artery in the brain. It can be performed up to 24 hours of the first stroke symptoms. We have partnered with UCLA’s Neuro Interventionalists to perform this procedure for patients who meet criteria.
After acute treatment, our doctors will find out what caused the stroke and attempt to address that cause to prevent another stroke from occurring in the future. If needed, patients may be transferred to our hospital's 24-hour Acute Rehabilitation Unit for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or cognitive therapy. Our specialized, in-house comprehensive medical rehabilitation program aims to help stroke survivors regain independence and productivity.
The Stroke Program at Southern California Hospital at Culver City is led by Dr. Ravinder Singh, a board-certified neurologist specializing in the prevention and treatment of stroke. He has extensive research experience in stroke and was part of the initial clot-busting drug trials using tPA.
Contact Us
Our hospital is conveniently located in the heart of Culver City between Venice and Culver Boulevards at 3828 Delmas Terrace. For more information about our Stroke Program, please call (310) 836-7000, ext. 5505 or email our stroke program manager.