On September 26th, a group of nationally prominent cardiologists assembled in Washington, D.C., will watch a live telecast of neurosurgery happening at Millard Filllmore Gates Hospital (MFGH), a university-affiliated teaching hospital. MFGH is home to the Toshiba Stroke Research Center of the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

L.N. Hopkins, MD, Chairman of Neurosurgery and a pioneer of minimally invasive stent technology to treat diseases of the head and neck has been asked to present his techniques during the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics Meeting (TCT) in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hopkins' work has been the focus of national attention given the role the Toshiba Stroke Research Center has played in preventing and treating strokes and other diseases of the head and neck such as aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations.

According to Dr. Hopkins, "The Toshiba Stroke Research Center is the only research facility in the world with such a unique combination of doctors, scientist and engineers dedicated to minimally invasive treatment and prevention of stroke. The world should know what is going on at the Toshiba Stroke Research Center in Buffalo, N.Y."

The live telecast will feature a patient having a stent inserted into a partially blocked neck artery that feeds the brain. The clogging of this major artery can cause a stroke by blocking blood supply to the brain. The stent holds the artery open so that blood can flow freely through it. Instead of making major incisions into the neck to reach the carotid artery, the physician will insert a tiny catheter through the patient's groin. The catheter is then guided through the vascular system until it reaches the neck's carotid artery. At that point, the stent is released and placed in the exact spot where it is needed.

According to Dr. Hopkins, "It is our hope that our innovative research in Buffalo will pave the way for better patient outcomes and improved stroke prevention techniques in the US and around the world."