University Hospital first in Alabama to use innovative device to treat complex brain aneurysms
Device companies like Stryker often seek out University Hospital to be among the first to use new medical technology because of its skill in treating complex conditions and providing the highest level of patient care.
By Michelle Ryan-Day
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USA Health University Hospital has become the first hospital in Alabama to use a Surpass Elite flow diversion device to treat cerebral aneurysms — marking a significant advancement in minimally invasive neurosurgical care for patients in the region.
The Surpass Elite from Stryker, a leader in medical technologies, is the latest generation of flow diversion technology designed to treat complex intracranial aneurysms, including wide-necked, large, or hard-to-reach aneurysms that were previously difficult to treat with traditional methods.
Aneurysms, bulging or dilations in a blood vessel wall, most often occur in the aorta or brain. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can cause life-threatening bleeding — leading to hemorrhagic stroke in the brain or severe blood loss in the aorta. Treatment depends on size, location, and rupture risk, ranging from medication to surgery to repair or reinforce the vessel.
When using the Surpass Elite, the flexible, braided stent-like device is placed inside what’s known as a parent artery to redirect blood flow away from the aneurysm, promoting natural vessel healing while minimizing the risk of rupture during the procedure.
M. Adeel Saleemi, M.D., an interventional and vascular neurologist at USA Health and assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, performed the milestone procedure on a patient with multiple intracranial brain aneurysms.
“The Surpass Elite allows us to treat a wider variety of aneurysms using a minimally invasive approach,” Saleemi said. “It has a better safety profile as compared to its predecessor.”
The procedure can be performed via a small catheter inserted through an artery in the patient’s wrist or groin, eliminating the need for open surgery and allowing for faster recovery times.
Saleemi and Emily H. Dahlmann, DNP, RN, SCRN, stroke program director at USA Health, both noted that device companies like Stryker often seek out University Hospital to be among the first to use new medical technology because of its skill in treating complex conditions and providing the highest level of patient care.
“It’s an honor that device companies enlist University Hospital for performing cutting-edge treatments with leading-edge devices,” she said. “It just further affirms that University Hospital is the premier choice for advanced neurointerventional care in our region.”
The Surpass Elite has demonstrated high success rates in clinical trials, with strong safety and long-term vessel reconstruction outcomes. Its introduction at University Hospital expands the range of advanced treatments available to patients across the upper Gulf Coast.
