Seoul Medical Center's Cerebrovascular Center: 'One Cause for Cerebrovascular Diseases, From Prevention to Treatment and Management in One Place'

Seoul Medical Center has consolidated its cardiovascular and cerebrovascular services into a unified Cerebrovascular Center, operational since 2023. This integrated approach allows patients to receive connected care for a spectrum of conditions, ranging from chronic vascular health issues like hypertension and hyperlipidemia to severe cerebrovascular diseases including stroke, heart surgery, and arrhythmia.

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The two pillars of the Cerebrovascular Center are emergency medical care that battles time for acute conditions and integrated prevention that manages controllable risk factors in daily life.

The center's creation stems from the recognition that both the physical infrastructure and the nature of patient care necessitated a unified approach. It now houses a multidisciplinary team of 16 specialists from departments including cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, and radiology, supported by a total of over 50 personnel. The facility streamlines patient flow, with outpatient clinics and diagnostic services like ultrasound, cerebral blood flow tests, and Holter monitoring located on the same floor, while separate operating rooms for imaging and procedures are situated on the third floor.

Center Director Lee Sung-yoon and Head of Neurology Heo Jae-hyuk highlighted the center's role not just as an emergency treatment hub for acute cerebrovascular events, but also as a model for public healthcare that encompasses 'preventive care' and 'lifelong post-treatment management.' They stressed that the risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases are interconnected, originating from conditions like hypertension and hyperlipidemia, which can lead to atherosclerosis and ultimately manifest as heart or brain vascular issues. The center's essence lies in its integrated prevention strategy, treating the patient's overall vascular health rather than isolated conditions.

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The blood vessels in the human body, from the heart and brain to the aorta and peripheral vessels, are all interconnected. If there is a lesion in the cerebral or cardiac vessels, there is a high possibility of co-existing peripheral vascular disease in the aorta or legs. However, until now, patients had to go from one department to another simply because the departments were different. Ultimately, the essential role of the center is 'integrated prevention,' which identifies and manages co-existing conditions and risk factors in a single patient without viewing diseases in isolation.

This integrated model is particularly crucial in an aging society where the incidence of conditions like arrhythmia and stroke is rising among the elderly. By managing risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia, the center aims to act as a bulwark against stroke in the community. The collaborative efforts between departments, such as cardiology and neurology jointly managing atrial fibrillation, are vital for comprehensive patient care. Furthermore, the center focuses on long-term management of stroke survivors, encouraging patients to transition to community-based care closer to home for better prognosis and continuous monitoring, including regular check-ups and neurological assessments.

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Diseases like 'atrial fibrillation,' a type of arrhythmia that causes stroke by forming blood clots due to irregular heartbeats, are representative areas that require precise management by both cardiology and neurology. Also, since cerebrovascular diseases all originate from the common chronic condition of atherosclerosis, if a cardiovascular problem is found in a patient receiving treatment in neurology, they should be immediately referred to cardiology, and conversely, if a cerebrovascular problem is suspected in a cardiology patient, they should be connected to neurology.