Reducing Recurrence of Blocked Arteries
Penn Cardiac Care cardiologists have pioneered and are
implementing many of the latest technologies available
to diagnose and/or therapeutically treat heart patients.
These innovative approaches are often used without surgery
and with longer-lasting results than medication.
Penn Cardiac Care at the Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania was the first in the
region to use stents (tiny metal supports similar to
scaffolding and placed in the artery after balloon
angioplasty to help keep the artery open long-term).
Because blockages in the coronary arteries may recur
in about 15 percent of the patients within the first
six to nine months (called restenosis), additional
catheterizations and even surgery may be necessary.
Penn is one of the nation’s few hospitals exploring
drug-eluting stents to reduce restenosis. These stents
hold considerable promise, as they deliver medication
directly to the arterial walls. The medication on
the stent inhibits the growth of arterial cells, which
can grow and decrease blood flow in the heart. Robert
Wilensky, MD, director of interventional cardiology
research at Penn and the lead cardiologist in the
studies, says, “We are encouraged by the research
which shows that drug eluting stents help to reduce
restenosis to almost zero, compared to traditional
devices.”
These stents are expected to revolutionize the treatment
of coronary artery disease and may potentially be utilized
for other conditions, such as peripheral arterial disease
(arteries blocked in the arms and legs). “Drug-eluting
stents have the potential to improve circulation and
decrease the need for a repeat catheterization or bypass
operation, which will truly enhance the quality of the
patient’s life long term,” says Kathleen
E. Magness, MD, a cardiologist at Penn Cardiac Care
at Phoenixville Hospital.
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