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Patient from Italy Comes to Valley for Specialized Endovascular Neurology Procedure

  • Updated: July 3, 2015

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HARLINGEN  – A 32-year-old-woman from Italy recently came to the Valley to have a specialized “endovascular neurology” procedure that was performed by Dr. Ameer Hassan at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen.

Now Jenni Cerea is back in Bergamo, Italy (near Milan), recovering from the very specialized treatment that is offered at few locations in the United States – but fortunately for Valley patients is available at Valley Baptist.

“This patient needed an endovascular treatment that wasn’t offered anywhere in Europe,” Dr. Hassan said.

Jenni Cerea of in Bergamo, Italy recently flew to the Valley to have a highly-specialized “endovascular neurology” procedure at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen. With the patient in Valley Baptist’s Neuro Intensive Care Unit are, from the left, Dr. Adnan Qureshi of the University of Minnesota and Dr. Ameer Hassan and Dr. Wondwossen Tekle, Endovascular Neurologists at Valley Baptist.

Jenni Cerea of in Bergamo, Italy recently flew to the Valley to have a highly-specialized “endovascular neurology” procedure at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen. With the patient in Valley Baptist’s Neuro Intensive Care Unit are, from the left, Dr. Adnan Qureshi of the University of Minnesota and Dr. Ameer Hassan and Dr. Wondwossen Tekle, Endovascular Neurologists at Valley Baptist.

Dr. Hassan said Ms. Cerea had an “occluded” vein on one side of the brain, which blocked the flow of blood draining out of her brain.  She sought treatment at multiple centers across Europe and the United States, finally meeting Dr. Adnan Qureshi at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.  Dr. Qureshi began her treatment in Minnesota, and then referred the patient to Dr. Hassan, who did his specialized training with Dr. Qureshi at the University of Minnesota (also training with Dr. Qureshi in Minnesota was Dr. Wondwossen Tekle of Valley Baptist, who along with Dr. Hassan is one of only two endovascular neurologists practicing in the Valley.  Dr. Tekle assisted with care of the patient while she was in the Valley.)

Dr. Quershi flew to the Valley from Minnesota to assist Dr. Hassan with the procedure for the Italian woman, which included running a catheter (thin tube) inside blood vessels in Ms. Cerea’s leg, up to the blocked vein on the side of her brain.  The neurologists then inflated a tiny balloon to open the blood vessel through an “angioplasty” procedure — and inserted a tiny metal device, a stent, to hold the vein open, so blood would continue to flow out of Ms. Cerea’s brain.

The procedure — which was performed in a specialized bi-plane lab / neurovascular angiography suite at Valley Baptist — was designed to relieve Ms. Cerea’s symptoms, which included headache.

“She also was experiencing vertigo, dizziness and ‘ringing in the ear’, which improved after the procedure,” Dr. Hassan said.

For more information about advanced treatment for brain and spine conditions, consult your physician and visit www.ValleyBaptist.net.

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