Ajith J. Thomas, MD, Chief and Chair of Neurosurgery, is among one of the four principal investigators awarded with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant of $17.5 million over five years to conduct the CHESS trial.
Chronic Subdural Hematoma Treatment with Embolization vs. Surgery Study (CHESS) is a multi-center, prospective, randomized, open-label, phase III clinical trial in patients with convexity chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) to determine superiority of middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) versus conventional surgery in moderately symptomatic patients. MMAE is a minimally invasive procedure to treat chronic subdural hematomas through an endovascular approach in comparison to the traditional open cranial surgery.
Dr. Thomas has played a significant role in developing and refining this modality of treatment. The trial involves the recruitment of 394 patients from 30 centers, including Cooper University Health Care.