Without doing the stent surgery, will medicine eventually do the same or similar thing that slowly remove the clots and what impact will not having a stent impact recovery? I bought a special whistle for him to blow and practice in hoping that might help with his swallowing and speaking, would that work? Is it common to have phlegm/sputum as a result of lying in bed for a long time? With thick phlegm. Sputum in his throat, it's not surprised to see him experienced difficulty to breath sometimes, ss there any medicine to cure this? Would a mucus clearance respiratory device for asthma help?

Hello Dehong

Thank you for reaching out on EnableMe and telling us a little about your father and his stroke in May this year.

It is difficult to give you an exact answer about whether medications will dissolve the clots as we have not seen and do not know your father’s medical history, or the medications he is taking.  I would suggest asking his specialist this question directly. Medications can certainly help reduce the likelihood of blood clotting. I would also suggest asking your father’s specialist about the effects of not having the stent. The questions I would suggest would be to ask :

1. How will not having the stent affect his ability to exercise both now and in the long term?
2. How long he will need to take the medications for?
3. What are the risks associated with the surgery as compared to the medications?

In regard to the whistle that you’ve purchased, I would suggest your father see a Speech Pathologist. They would be able to give him specific exercises and therapy to improve his swallowing and speech. Recent studies have shown that it is quantity of speech communication that can help improve someone’s ability to communicate following a stroke, and a Speech Pathologist would be the best person to assess and recommend these for your father.

A stroke survivor who has swallowing difficulties may have a build-up of phlegm in their throat  due to their inability to clear this using the muscles in their throat. This would be something that a Speech Pathologist and your father’s doctor should be aware of, as not being able to swallow appropriately can lead to other problems such as aspiration pneumonia. I would again be asking your father’s Speech Pathologist and doctor about products that might help with clearing the phlegm. I would be careful about using any invasive device without medical clearance first, to ensure this will safe and appropriate for your father to use.

I would also recommend trying to find a stroke association in the particular country that your father is residing in. They may be able to help direct your father’s care further, as resources in other countries differ than those in Australia- where we are located.

If you have any additional questions, please call us on StrokeLine 1800 787 653

Best,

Madisen (StrokeLine)