UofL Health’s Louisville Brain Bypass and Revascularization Center (LBBRC) aims to identify and treat patients with Moyamoya disease (MMD), Moyamoya syndrome (MMS), related intracranial steno-occlusive disorders (SOD) and extracranial vascular stenosis (carotid and vertebral) with medical and surgical treatment options. Our team evaluates each patient through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program of UofL Health providers spanning multiple neuro-specific subspecialties.
Conditions and conditions treated
- Moyamoya Disease (MMD): This is a progressive narrowing of the intracranial carotid arteries, usually with one side first followed by the other, and progressive strokes, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs, or “mini-strokes”) and/or bleeds in the brain.
- Moyamoya syndrome (MMS): MMS is like MMD but more often affects one side of the brain only. It can be associated with a number of conditions like lupus, prior radiation, sickle cell anemia, Down syndrome, neurofibromatosis or thyroid disease, or it can present due to unknown reasons (i.e. “idiopathic”). Similar to MMD, MMS can present with progressive strokes, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs, or “mini-strokes”) and/or bleeds in the brain.
- Steno-occlusive disorders (SOD): SOD includes any narrowing or closed arteries in the brain, which can happen for various reasons including dissections, tears in the artery or a build-up of plaque (i.e. intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD)). Most of the time, medical management is best for first-line treatment.
- Carotid or vertebral artery stenosis: Narrowing in the blood vessels of the head and neck, and can present with strokes or TIAs. A combination of medical and/or surgical treatment is used for these patients.
