Written By: Dr Reshma Nayak | Updated : May 21, 2014 5:39 PM IST
Recently, the Asian Heart Institute became one of the first few hospitals in the country to conduct an angioplasty with the new generation biodegradable stent. Surgeons there successfully performed a biodegradable stent implant on a patient on the first day after the launch of Abbott's Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold in the country. A team of surgeons, including cardiologists Dr Nilesh Gautam and Dr Praveen Kulkarni performed the procedure on 49 year-old Sushma Mallawat with 100 % blockage in her Left Anterior Decending Artery (LADA). This was a particularly high risk case as the patient was diabetic with acute coronary syndrome and had symptoms of breathlessness, chest pain and her heart pumping was less than 35 %, said doctors.
According to doctors, this new generation bio re-absorbable stent serves the same purpose as that of the normal version, but is manufactured from a material that dissolves in the body over time.
How are they better?
Metallic stents have been around for a while now as treatment of choice when it comes to treating chest pain and/or heart attack.They are basically small tubes used to keep the affected coronary arteries (in the heart) open so that the heart gets enough blood, oxygen supply and is able to function properly. They are implanted in the heart with a procedure called angioplasty. However, these metallic stents do come with disadvantages - they can lead to scarring of the vessel tissue which in turn can cause 'restenosis' which means that the arteries could close up again. Though there have been further advances like the use of drug-eluting stents (stents coated with medicines that could reduce the risk of restenosis), they still had complications.
The latest in the armamentarium against heart disease is 'bio-absorbable' stents which were launched in Mumbai this wednesday. These basically dissolve in around 18-months reducing the risk of scarring, restenosis and other issues with the earlier stents. It has been launched by Abbott Vascular and was given an approval by the Drug Controller general of India after a clinical trial with 100 patients.
The option is now available at the following Mumbai hospitals - Bombay Hospital, Jaslok, L H Hiranandani Hospital in Powai and the Asian heart Institute.
Apart from reduced complications like clotting, re-stenosis, the doctors are of the opinion that follow-up also becomes easier. In cases with metallic stents, it becomes very difficult to see other blockages since the metal refracts the rays of the scan. With a bio-absorbable stent, since the diagnosis is better, there is a better chance of catching and treating other blockages on time.
While the long-term success and the cost factor is still to be figured out, it does seem like a breakthrough of sorts in the world of cardiac surgeries.
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.
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