The interventional cardiology team at Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LRMC) recently became the first in Central Florida to offer patients with coronary artery disease a new treatment option.
Dr. Srinivas Attanti implanted a patient last week with the world's first FDA-approved dissolving heart stent. The Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold is a major advance in the treatment of coronary artery disease, which affects 15 million people in the United States and remains a leading cause of death worldwide despite decades of therapeutic advances.
While stents are traditionally made of metal, Abbott's Absorb stent is made of a naturally dissolving material, similar to dissolving sutures. Absorb disappears completely in about three years, after it has done its job of keeping a clogged artery open and promoting healing of the treated artery segment. By contrast, metal stents are permanent implants.
"Traditionally, we would treat a patient with coronary artery disease with a metal stent, and it would stay with them for the rest of their life," says Srinivas Attanti, MD, a board-certified Interventional Cardiologist with Citrus Cardiology Consultants, PA and on the medical staff at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. "Now, just like a doctor treating someone for a broken bone would remove a cast when the injury is healed, we're able to use a stent that naturally dissolves after the artery is healed. This leaves the artery with the ability to pulse and flex naturally."
Dr. Srinivas Attanti implanted a patient last week with the world's first FDA-approved dissolving heart stent. The Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold is a major advance in the treatment of coronary artery disease, which affects 15 million people in the United States and remains a leading cause of death worldwide despite decades of therapeutic advances.
While stents are traditionally made of metal, Abbott's Absorb stent is made of a naturally dissolving material, similar to dissolving sutures. Absorb disappears completely in about three years, after it has done its job of keeping a clogged artery open and promoting healing of the treated artery segment. By contrast, metal stents are permanent implants.
"Traditionally, we would treat a patient with coronary artery disease with a metal stent, and it would stay with them for the rest of their life," says Srinivas Attanti, MD, a board-certified Interventional Cardiologist with Citrus Cardiology Consultants, PA and on the medical staff at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. "Now, just like a doctor treating someone for a broken bone would remove a cast when the injury is healed, we're able to use a stent that naturally dissolves after the artery is healed. This leaves the artery with the ability to pulse and flex naturally."
The dissolving stent technology is suitable for most patients, especially for seniors who would not be able to take essential blood thinners if implanted with a metal stent.
To ensure optimal patient selection and implant technique, LRMC's interventional cardiology team underwent specialized training on the new device.
Don Henderson, President and CEO of Central Florida Health - the parent organization of Leesburg Regional Medical Center - said the organization is pleased to add the stent to its lineup of treatment options. "The addition of this new procedure, combined with the expertise of our heart and vascular team, will help LRMC continue to offer patients the best care possible using the most innovative technology available," he added.
To ensure optimal patient selection and implant technique, LRMC's interventional cardiology team underwent specialized training on the new device.
Don Henderson, President and CEO of Central Florida Health - the parent organization of Leesburg Regional Medical Center - said the organization is pleased to add the stent to its lineup of treatment options. "The addition of this new procedure, combined with the expertise of our heart and vascular team, will help LRMC continue to offer patients the best care possible using the most innovative technology available," he added.
