UK HealthCare is home to a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center that treats an estimated 1,500 stroke cases a year. Becoming a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center is a rigorous process that guarantees high standards of care established by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The certification is rare — there are only a handful of Comprehensive Stroke Centers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

This certification signifies that UK HealthCare can handle the most complex stroke cases, including:

• Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL)
• Cavernous malformations
• Cerebral amyloid angioplasty
• Cerebral vasculitis
• Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
• Ischemic stroke
• Hemorrhagic stroke 
• Moyamoya disease
• Post-stroke spasticity (BOTOX treatments)
• Transient ischemic attack

Thanks to the hard work of our providers, UK HealthCare is ranked No. 1 among the Best Regional Hospitals for Kentucky and the Bluegrass Region by U.S. News & World Report. UK HealthCare is also recognized as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, and is a recipient of the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award and Stroke Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

There are two major types of stroke.

Ischemic stroke occurs when an artery that supplies blood to a section of the brain is blocked, causing death of brain cells by preventing oxygen and important nutrients like glucose from reaching the brain.

Hemorrhagic stroke results from a blood vessel breaking open, causing bleeding into the brain and damage to the surrounding cells.

Either of these types of stroke can cause irreversible brain damage and may result in death or long-lasting disabilities including paralysis, weakness, speech difficulties and problems with memory and thought. Having a stroke increases a person’s chance of having another stroke. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in Kentucky, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Emergency stroke treatment with surgery, endovascular procedures and/or a blood clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can help prevent brain damage and increase the likelihood of a full recovery from stroke and its associated symptoms. Vascular neurologists at UK HealthCare work alongside other specialists to deliver these treatments and more.