Inpatient and Outpatient Stroke Services

Inpatient Services

The service is staffed by world-renowned stroke physicians, who have a proven track record in providing state of the art patient care for complex clinical problems, including stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and other cerebrovascular processes. The staff also prides itself in the education of fellows, residents and medical students from Harvard Medical School and around the world, teaching about modern advances in stroke care. 

Finally, patients who are admitted to the inpatient stroke service have the opportunity to participate in numerous clinical trials, designed to further advance the field of stroke.

Neuroimaging

For defining anatomy and physiology of cerebrovascular disorders by MR (diffusion, perfusion, spectroscopy, angiography), CT angiography/perfusion, PET, and selective angiography.

Neurointensive Care

The neurointensive care unit provides care to patients with neurological illnesses who are critically ill. Such therapies include the support of other organ systems, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, infectious disease and others. The neurointensive care unit is staffed full time by specialists in neurocritical care and stroke.

Stroke Diagnosis

Patients admitted to the inpatient stroke service are provided with state of the art diagnostic procedures, all aimed at establishing the underlying cause of the stroke, a key to secondary prevention.

Stroke Prevention

A strong focus for patients admitted to the impatient service is prevention of future strokes. We strive for excellence in secondary prevention and stroke risk factor management, as well as providing a seamless transition to the outpatient stroke prevention clinic for close follow up after a stroke.

Stroke Rehabilitation

Our inpatient service strives to provide early and frequent rehabilitation for stroke patients, including physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Outpatient Services

Our outpatient services are designed to diagnose, prevent, and manage the complications of stroke. Our Service has a multidisciplinary approach to exploring innovative therapies for stroke recovery, as well.

Patients are referred from around the world to Mass General and can receive comprehensive evaluation by a team of specialists that includes stroke neurologists, vascular neurosurgeons, interventional neuroradiologists, and rehabilitation physicians. Patient services are coordinated through the Stroke Prevention Clinic.

Cerebrovascular Disorders

We diagnose and manage an array of cerebrovascular conditions, including:

Ischemic Stroke & Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Treatment and Prevention

• Heart disease
• Cardioembolism
• Carotid or vertebral artery disease
• Small vessel intracranial or lacunar disease
• White matter disease
• Dissection of a cerebral artery

Intracranial Hemorrhage

• Intracerebral hemorrhage
• Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis

Stroke in the Young (Age < 55) or Due to Other Rare Causes

• Congenital heart defects (ASD, PFO)
• Pregnancy
• Migraine or vasoconstriction
• Moya moya
• Cancer
• Fabry’s disease, CADASIL or other genetic causes
• Fibromuscular dysplasia
• Cerebral vasculitis
• Drug-induced stroke (e.g. cocaine, amphetamines)
• Hypercoagulability associated stroke syndromes

Stroke Recovery

The MGH Stroke Service supports the following outpatient programs:

Stroke Clinic
State-of-the-art evaluation and intervention for individuals with a history of or at increased risk for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

Stroke Prevention Clinic
The Stroke Prevention Clinic improves the transition of inpatient to outpatient care for patients with stroke. It allows rapid access to a stroke specialist within 2 weeks of discharge to follow-up on outstanding laboratory tests, monitor response to therapy, and ensure that an optimal stroke prevention regimen is in place. There is unique subspecialty interest in hemorrhagic stroke and a specialized clinic focusing on prevention of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Vascular Center Neurology: Waltham Campus

Genetic Causes of Stroke
Mass General is on the cutting edge of stroke genetics research and can offer comprehensive assessment for individuals with known or suspected inherited causes of stroke.

Vascular Cognitive Impairment
Diagnosis and management of cognitive dysfunction caused by "silent" strokes and "white matter disease".

Interventional Neurovascular Surgery
For embolization of complex intracranial and spinal vascular malformations and tumors, cerebral angioplasty, and intra arterial thrombolysis.

Clinical Vascular Laboratory: Cerebrovascular Ultrasound
In partnership with the Mass General Clinical Vascular Laboratory and the Mass General Vascular Center, we employ sophisticated tools for the detection of ischemia by carotid duplex ultrasound, transcranial Doppler ultrasound, and TCD embolus and vasospasm detection in the OR, ICU, and endovascular procedure suite.

Cardio-Neurology
The purpose of the Cardio Neurology Stroke Clinic is to provide comprehensive evaluation and care of patients with cerebrovascular disorders related to the heart.

This clinic offers specialized evaluation of cerebrovascular disorders directly or indirectly related to the heart. These disorders may relate to congenital heart conditions in adult patients [e.g., septal defects, patent foramen ovale (PFO)], strokes related to dilated cardiomyopathies or cardiac valvular diseases, as well as to conditions and arteriopathies relating to both the heart and the vascular system.

Given also the special relationship between PFO and paradoxical embolism (often related to venous thrombosis), we also specialize in peripheral venous thrombotic disorders (e.g., May-Thurner syndrome) as well as cranio-cerebral venous sinus thromboses, the evaluation of which involves specialized, in-depth evaluation of clotting dysfunction (thrombophilia).

There are also other cerebrovascular disorders related to the heart, which are not stroke related. To see these other disorders, visit the Mass General Cardio-Neurology Clinic.