Northwest Health cardiologist first in Arkansas to implant dissolving stent
by October 14, 2016 3:44 pm 228 views
The interventional cardiology team at Northwest Medical Center — Springdale recently became the first in Arkansas to offer patients with coronary artery disease a new treatment option that dissolves over time.
In the first week of October, Dr. Michael Green, interventional cardiologist with Northwest Health, the hospital’s parent company, implanted a dissolving heart stent in a patient, according to a news release from the health care organization.
The Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold is manufactured by Abbott and treats coronary artery disease, which affects 15 million people in the United States and is a leading cause of death worldwide.
Abbott announced in July that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the stent, making the first-of-its-kind medical device commercially available.
Stents are traditionally made of metal. Abbott’s Absorb stent is made of a naturally dissolving material. Absorb dissolves in about three years after it does its job of keeping a clogged artery open and promotes healing of the treated artery segment. Only two pairs of tiny metallic markers remain in the artery to show a physician where the device was placed. By contrast, metal stents are permanent implants.
“The cardiovascular team at Northwest Medical Center — Springdale is excited to be the first to implant this technology,” Green said in the release. “The Absorb bioresorbable scaffold is the first fully dissolving stent available for the treatment of coronary artery disease.”
“This cutting edge technology is very appealing because the treatment leaves nothing behind allowing for the treated artery to return to its natural state,” he added. “While current metal technology is very effective for treating coronary artery disease, the absorbable platform allows access to other treatment options in the patient’s future.”
The Springdale hospital’s cardiovascular team underwent extensive training on the new device before implanting the stent, according to the release.