Local Hearts Get Drug-Coated Stents

St. Mary’s Hospital in Rogers was the first Northwest Arkansas hospital to use a new drug-coated stent, just days after the Food and Drug Administration approved it for the treatment of blocked coronary arteries.

The new Cypher Stent is coated with the drug sirolimus, which is slowly released into the stent’s lining to prevent reblockage. In-stent reblockage occurs in as many as 15-30 percent of patients who receive a bare metal stent.

Rogers resident Harry Crowthers received the stent procedure April 26 at St. Mary’s Hospital. St. Mary’s Cardiologist Michael Green performed the procedure. St. Mary’s performs about 600 stent procedures each year.

Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville has also announced that it’s offering the Cypher Stent. WRMC performs about 500 stent procedures each year.

According to studies involving nearly 1,400 patients, the Cypher Stent reduced reblockage by more than 90 percent as compared to a bare metal stent. The Cypher Stent is manufactured by the Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company.