A large vessel stroke is mainly due to an interruption in the flow of blood in one of the main large arteries in the brain. Since it arises when a large artery is obstructed, all its smaller branches are clogged as well. When this type of stroke occurs, it impairs a large region of the brain which is usually referred to as the “vascular territory” of the large blood vessel.
What are the possible causes?
In most cases, a large vessel stroke is brought about by a blood clot that originated from a different part of the body and embeds inside an artery in the brain.
The blood clots generally originate in the heart but can move from the carotid artery or from a far away vessel in a different part of the body.
What happens when a large vessel stroke occurs?
Since the large arteries in the brain supply a wide area, a large vessel stroke is literally big.
A “big” stroke can result to neurological damage since they impair a large region of the brain. This results to the impairment of various physical and mental capabilities of the individual.
Additionally, it can also lead to the swelling in the brain that can make a stroke even more dangerous in the short term and can delay recovery.
What to expect after
The common form of a large vessel stroke is a middle cerebral artery stroke. Generally, the initial few days after a large vessel stroke is the most troublesome. In most cases, the recovery is sluggish, and rehabilitation is almost always needed after a stroke.
The long-term recovery from a stroke involves management of the stroke risk factors such as heart disease and hypertension. The main component of the recovery process also includes the prevention of any stroke-related complications.