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sjch.us•
S T R O K E C A R E AT S J C H
Practice prevention: Start today!
Not every stroke can be prevented. But
many could. That’s if people take charge
of their health—and those stroke risk
factors they can control, such as:
•
High blood pressure
•
Smoking
•
High cholesterol
•
Diabetes
•
Obesity and inactivity
What can you do?
Focus on a healthy
lifestyle. Eating nutritious foods, staying
active and maintaining a healthy weight
can all help.
Be sure to talk with your doctor about
your personal risk of stroke. Your age,
gender, health history and race can all
play a role.
Going after clots,
saving brains:
Donald Cornforth,
MD, is one of only
two physicians
in Bakersfield
to perform an
advanced stroke
procedure called
thrombectomy.
‘WHAT WE
DO HERE IS
LIFE-CHANGING’
Now more than ever,
doctors have
options to turn to when a stroke occurs.
One of those brain-saving treatments,
thrombectomy, requires great expertise.
Donald Cornforth, MD, of San Joaquin Com-
munity Hospital (SJCH), is one of only two phy-
sicians in Bakersfield who do this procedure.
It may be used for people who are having
a stroke caused by a blood clot. To remove
the clot, doctors thread a catheter through an
artery to the blocked area in the brain. Using
digital imaging, they guide a specially designed
tool that traps the clot and removes it.
“Not all people are candidates for this pro-
cedure, but those who are respond very well,”
Dr. Cornforth says. It can help save brain
cells—and prevent some of the more serious
effects of stroke.
“Every day, we have people from our community come into
the Emergency Department for stroke treatment. And every
day, I am reminded that what we do here is life-changing,”
Dr. Cornforth says.
Someone to watch over you.
A primary care doctor can
help you stay healthy. Find a doctor at
sjch.us—select
“Family Medicine” or “Internal Medicine” as the specialty,
or call
661-214-3522
.
Bring it up:
Kiranjeet Loewen, DO, Adventist Health
Physicians Network, urges her patients to practice healthy
habits to help prevent strokes. It’s important to talk with
your doctor about steps you can take to reduce your risk for
stroke, Dr. Loewen says.