An Overview

UB Neurosurgeons and Weill Cornell Medicine collaborated on the EMBOLISE study, led by Dr. Jared Knopman (Weill Cornell Medicine) and Dr. Jason M. Davies (UB). Their findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study, which followed 400 participants across 39 hospitals, tested a new technique called middle meningeal artery embolization. This approach works by blocking the artery that supplies blood to the dura, the brain’s protective membrane, which helps reduce the chances of hematomas returning. The results showed a remarkable threefold reduction in the need for additional procedures. 

The Impact on Patient Care

Common in older adults, chronic subdural hematomas often require many surgeries to drain blood and fluid from a patient’s brain. In up to 20% of these cases, the hematoma does come back, leading to a need for further procedures. This new treatment gives a promising alternative and reduces the need for craniotomies. This option can ease patient discomfort and lower healthcare costs. As Dr. Davies notes, “We are changing the way we treat this very common disease.”

Partnerships Fueling Innovation

The study’s success was made possible by the collaboration between UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the Gates Vascular Institute, and Weill Cornell Medicine. This particular trial consisted of 40 patients from UB Neurosurgery and highlighted this innovative treatment’s probability of improving patient outcomes and quality of life. This work cements UB and its leadership in advancing neurosurgical care, specifically for older patients with complex medical needs. 

In Related Research

Dr. Kamal Kohli’s recent article in Medical Dialogues further recounts the perspectives of Dr. Jason M. Davies and Dr. Jared Knopman, who led the EMBOLISE trial. Their insights highlight the potential of these new treatments to impact chronic subdural hematoma management significantly. Read Dr. Kohli’s full article here. 

Further, Ellen Goldenbaum’s article in UBNow gives a detailed overview of the EMBOLISE trial, emphasizing the impact and outcomes for elderly patients. Golbaum writes, “The publication of the EMBOLISE trial results in the New England Journal of Medicine is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the neurosurgeons at the Jacobs School.” Read the full article here.

Going Forward

The research will continue with a focus on whether embolization has the potential to eliminate a need for patients with early-stage chronic subdural hematomas, completely changing how this condition progresses. This study now represents a significant step in transforming the care given and the well-being of individuals with this condition.