New stroke treatment unit at Northeast Baptist Hospital is saving lives

Stroke survivor recounts his experience

Watch the news story and learn how Northeast Baptist Hospital helped Herbert Denny survive a stroke and get back to doing what he loves the most – playing his piano. CLICK HERE

(San Antonio) -- Every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. suffers from a stroke and every four minutes, a stroke takes another life. Experts predict that in the coming years, the nation could see an increase in death and disability from strokes as a result of delays in care and unhealthy lifestyles adopted by Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To help reverse this alarming trend, Northeast Baptist Hospital in San Antonio has launched a new unit this year and added new technology and specialists dedicated to the treatment and prevention of stroke and the rehab of stroke survivors. Suman Nalluri, M.D., interventional stroke neurologist and director of the new program, said the unit offers another vital access point for stroke patients needing lifesaving care in northeast Bexar County, the surrounding area and through to the San Marcos corridor.

“Time is brain when it comes to stroke,” Dr. Nalluri said. “Seconds make all the difference in whether a person survives and whether or not they’ll be impaired with long-term negative health effects,” he said. “A person suffering a stroke can lose up to 2 million brain cells every minute until blood flow is restored to the brain. Our goal is to intervene swiftly, save brain cells, save lives and ensure our patients can return to a normal quality of life after stroke,” he said. Stroke continues to be the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Currently, there are 3.8 million women and 3 million men living with disabilities as a direct result of stroke. Research has proven that early intervention and treatment are directly linked to reduced motor and cognitive deficits such as impaired speech, paralysis, blindness and memory loss, as well as lower death rates.