Thrombolytic Therapy Treatment in India

Sophia Kumar, a 42-year-old graphic designer...

Sophia Kumar, a 42-year-old graphic designer and mother of two, had always been healthy. Her life changed suddenly when she woke up with profound hearing loss and a roaring tinnitus in her right ear. Over the next 12 hours, she developed severe vertigo, making it impossible to stand without vomiting. A frantic trip to the ER and an urgent MRI revealed an acute occlusion of the right internal auditory artery, a stroke affecting her inner ear. The ENT specialist explained that time was critical; the sensory cells were dying. He recommended immediate intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy, a targeted clot-busting treatment delivered via a catheter to try and restore blood flow to her cochlea and vestibular system. Terrified of permanent deafness and imbalance, Sophia consented. The procedure was intense; she was awake but sedated, feeling pressure as the interventional radiologist navigated the micro-catheter. Within hours, the roaring in her ear began to fade. Over the next two days in the stroke unit, her vertigo subsided dramatically. While she was left with a moderate high-frequency hearing loss and mild tinnitus, her functional hearing and balance recovered enough to return to work and family life. Her emotional journey was a rollercoaster, from the sheer panic of sudden sensory loss, through the anxiety of an urgent brain procedure, to immense gratitude for the partial recovery that allowed her to hear her children's voices again.