NGMC completes first AVM treatment advancing brain care for the region
Press Release March 30, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – The radiation oncology and neuroscience teams at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) recently partnered to provide the region’s first treatment for arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a tangle of abnormal blood vessels in the brain. Because of the high risk for stroke and myriad neurological conditions associated with AVM, patients have traditionally been sent elsewhere for care – but now they can get the care they need close to home.
“It takes a lot of collaboration between different specialists to treat a complex neurovascular disorder like this,” said Sung Lee, MD, NGMC’s medical director of Neurointerventional Surgery and a neurointerventional surgeon with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG). “Being able to provide this treatment speaks to how we are continuing to advance the neuroscience capabilities in this region, so patients won’t have to travel for life-saving care.”
Using his expertise in angiography, Dr. Lee first located the tangled vessels in the patient’s brain and then helped develop a plan with Craig Baden, MD, a radiation oncologist with NGPG, for targeted radiation treatment. These radiation treatment capabilities have been Dat NGMC to treat cancerous tumors for years, but – without a neurointerventional surgeon like Dr. Lee – AVM treatment wasn’t possible.
“Anytime you’re dealing with a complex problem, you need experts from multiple disciplines to come together and develop an appropriate treatment plan,” said Dr. Baden. “And for an AVM treatment, we’ve had some of the pieces in place previously, but we were missing the crucial piece of a neurointerventionalist.”
Patients oftentimes don’t know they have an AVM. Dr. Baden said it’s typically diagnosed incidentally or when a patient goes in for brain imaging due to headache, seizure or some kind of neurologic problem. When concern for AVM arises, Dr. Lee steps in to help decide the best route of treatment for the patient based on certain risk factors.
“A tumor is very easy to see on an MRI,” said Dr. Baden, who has been treating tumors with radiosurgery for years. “But when you’re talking about tiny blood vessels that are connecting improperly in the brain, the best way to see those is by putting a catheter in one of the arteries and going all the way up into the vascular system in the brain – that’s the expertise Dr. Lee brings to the table.”
Dr. Lee has already helped Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) offer new neuroscience care capabilities like mechanical thrombectomy, a critical stroke intervention procedure. With his expertise in angiography, he’s further pushing the program to new heights.
“Dr. Lee is truly an asset to this health system and this region as a whole,” said Meghan Glabach, executive director of Neurosciences at NGHS. “With his help, we’re continually expanding stroke care at NGHS. Our campuses in Barrow, Braselton and Gainesville are now all certified as Primary Stroke Centers, and we plan to continue expanding, putting NGMC on the map as a leader in neurosciences.”
To learn more about NGMC’s neurological care, visit nghs.com/neurosciences.
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ABOUT NORTHEAST GEORGIA HEALTH SYSTEM
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is a non-profit on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. Our team cares for more than 1 million people across the region through four hospitals and a variety of outpatient locations. Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has campuses in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega – with a total of more than 700 beds and more than 1,100 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.
NGHS stroke procedures saves lives, keeps people closer to home
News, Press Release November 17, 2020
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – When it comes to strokes, seconds could be the difference between full recovery and long-term effects. For decades, people could rely on Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) to provide clot-busting drugs that might save their lives, but they would have to be transferred to other hospitals outside the region if other critical procedures were needed. Now – thanks to NGMC adding new technology and welcoming a new stroke expert – people can receive all the stroke care they need closer to home, saving valuable time and increasing the chances for recovery.
Sung Lee, MD, will perform critical stroke intervention procedures in NGMC Gainesville’s new Neurointerventional Lab. The lab features the latest stroke-fighting technology to perform mechanical thrombectomies, a procedure that uses small catheters and wires to remove blood clots from the brain. He is the only doctor in the northeast Georgia region performing the procedure, and the lab is the only one of its kind in the region.
“Even though we are grateful for our colleagues in Atlanta, the delay in getting to timely treatment was a real detriment to our community,” said Dr. Lee, a neurointerventional surgeon with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) and NGMC’s medical director of Neurointerventional Surgery. “This is a game-changer for how we not only treat strokes, but it also gives us the ability to perform other complex brain, spinal and vascular procedures. It’s the dawn of a new era of neurological care in Hall County and the surrounding region.”
In addition to providing round-the-clock care at NGMC gainesville, Dr. Lee is also seeing patients at his NGPG practice in Gainesville. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia before completing a residency in neurology at the Mayo Clinic, a sub-specialty fellowship in neurocritical care and stroke at the University of California in San Francisco and an additional fellowship in neurointerventional radiology at Emory University. He is board certified in Neurology, Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.
“We’re excited that Dr. Lee is helping lead our stroke team, as we continually push the boundaries to improve our services and make sure patients who come in with stroke symptoms receive the best and quickest treatment possible,” said Holley Adams, Stroke Program coordinator at NGMC Gainesville. “Our community is truly a safer place now that we offer this level of care.”
If you or a loved one suspect a stroke, remember the acronym BE FAST:
Balance difficulties
Eyesight changes
Face drooping
Arm weakness
Speech slurring
Time to call 911
For more information about recognizing the signs of stroke and to learn more about stroke care at NGMC, visit nghs.com/stroke-care. To learn more about NGPG Neurointerventional Surgery, call 770-219-6520 or visit ngpg.org.
ABOUT NORTHEAST GEORGIA MEDICAL CENTER
Since 1951, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has been on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. With hospitals located in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega, the four NGMC campuses have a total of more than 700 beds and more than 1,100 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. NGMC is part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit that cares for more than 1 million people across more than 18 counties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.
ABOUT NORTHEAST GEORGIA PHYSICIANS GROUP
Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) brings together over 450 talented physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, midwives and other clinical staff at more than 65 locations across North Georgia. As the state’s sixth-largest physician group, we always have a practice nearby to offer you expert care in more than 25 specialties. See the full list of specialties and locations – and meet our providers – at www.ngpg.org.
NGPG is affiliated with Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS), a non-profit which serves more than 1 million people in 19 counties across the region. As part of NGHS, patients of NGPG have a direct connection to Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s four hospitals in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega. Learn more at www.nghs.com.