Awardee: Lusine Martirosyan MD, Neurologist, Saint Gregory the Illuminator Medical Centre, Yerevan, Armenia
Host Institution: Inselspital Bern, Neurology Department, Bern, Switzerland
Period of visit: 14 – 24 December 2021
First of all, I am sincerely grateful to the European Stroke Organisation for having accepted my application and for giving me this opportunity, which has been truly fruitful both professionally and personally. Secondly, I am grateful to the Neurology Department and especially to the Stroke Unit of Inselspital for accepting my visit. I am very pleased that I had a chance to work with one of the prominent and professional Professor- Marcel Arnold and his hardworking and responsible team.
The Inselspital in Bern is a highly specialized academic hospital with a huge experience in Acute Stroke Treatment and well-known research reputation.
Within 10 days, I was able to visit the Emergency Department, the Stroke Unit, the Neurosonology Laboratory. I am extremely impressed by the level of organization and collaboration between the various Units involved in the diagnostic process. Information about the patient comes from the ambulance long before the arrival of the patient. Each stroke patient undergoes a MR protocol including angiography and perfusion, to diagnose silent strokes, large vessel occlusions and waking up strokes. I am impressed by the professionalism of the team of Neurointerventionalists. I was able to see treatment of stroke cases with thrombectomy. It was very useful for me, as in my country endovascular treatment for stroke patients is not on a good level of organization.
In the Stroke Unit, Prof. Marcel Arnold and his team welcomed me. Patients are investigated for all potential risk factors including PVO, inherited thrombophilia and vascular genetic risk factors. It was very helpful for me to participate in the discussion among neurologists about stroke cases.
In the ultrasound laboratory, I had the opportunity to see the whole spectrum of vascular pathologies in stroke patients, such as arterial dissections, AV malformations, ICA origin or intracranial stenoses, and Halo sign in vasculitis.
I am grateful to the Stroke Team of Inselspital, Bern, for sharing with me their knowledge on vascular neurology, hoping to take advantage of it to serve my country the best as possible! I will try to create and invest the same in my clinic and share my new knowledge with my colleagues and staff.
I am grateful to all organizers of ESO, for their huge support and the opportunity which they give to young neurologists from different countries, allowing them to be involved in advanced medical clinics and research projects.
Are you inspired to plan your own Department to Department Visit?
Apply for a 2022 grant by 28 February.
The Department to Department Visit programme aims to provide insight into stroke departments outside the applicant`s home country through a grant of EUR 1,500 offered to up to 10 young physicians and researchers to support a short visit of a week or as a contribution to a longer visit to an European department or laboratory.
