New Procedure Opens Arteries after Angioplasty
Cardiologists and radiologists at Mary Mercy Hospital today at 1:30 pm will perform a procedure they think may be the answer to restenosis, the renarrowing of coronary arteries after angioplasty. Beta radiation will be used to reduce thickened vessel tissue that is sealing off vital blood flow to the heart. The procedure has been perfected in academic medical centers and is being offered for the first time in Washington State.
Angioplasty vs Angioplasty Plus Beta Radiation
Number of Patients and Characteristics | Angioplasty Data | |
| | Angioplasty Alone | Angioplasty Plus Beta Radiation |
| 1,587,000 patients with blocked arteries | 900,000 | 100,000 |
| 5 year survival rate | 80% | 94% |
| Cost per procedure | $7500 | $8500 |
Angioplasty, the process of inserting a tiny balloon into an artery leading to the heart in order to push out the plaque that is reducing blood flow, and therefore oxygen, to the heart, often fails over time as the artery walls renarrow in about 20 percent of the patients. The new therapy uses Beta radiation pellets left within the vessel for three to five minutes. The vessel tissues absorb radiation which prevents thickening of the walls. The risk of employing the treatment is low, as the beta source radiation used in this procedure amounts to one percent of radiation exposure from a chest X-ray.
- It is less costly than other heart surgery
- It is a more appropriate use of technology (for those patients who are suitable for the procedure)
- It causes less discomfort to the patient.
"Mary Mercy hospital staff are excited about using this new technique both because of the increased survival rate for patients and because the procedure adds such a small amount to the cost of the procedure," says Dr. Mignon Evers, Mary Mercy's Medical Director.
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