NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Stroke risk can be reduced in patients recovering from stroke by wearing an hour-shaped instrument around their legs, a recent study showed. The device is called the Geko device.
The study was conducted at Royal Stoke University Hospital. GECO is a battery-powered device designed to increase blood flow in the deep veins of the legs. Its effect is equivalent to 60% of walking activity, although the patient does not have to move.
The study was conducted by Dr. Andira Natarajan, a stroke consultant and clinical director of neurology at Royal Stock University Hospital.
The objective of the study was to determine whether the device could work for stroke patients.
It was particularly useful for those who could not tolerate intermittent pneumatic compression, the standard treatment recommended to prevent clotting.
Dr. Natarajan said that in stroke cases, one of the main complications is the formation of clots in the legs, and these strokes can sometimes move from the legs to the lung and cause a pulmonary embolism, which could be fatal.
About 30% of patients can not undergo intermittent aerobic pressure, which puts pressure on the leg muscles, as well as in cases of leg ulcers, skin lesions, or fluid pooling in the leg.
The Gecko device avoids these problems, such as a wrist watch that fits the outside of the knee joint.