UHealth the First Florida Academic Medical Center to Offer Drug-coated Balloon Treatment for Heart Patients
Article Summary
- UHealth is the first academic medical center in Florida to offer the AGENT Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB) treatment.
- The procedure helps prevent the re-narrowing of the coronary artery in patients with previously installed stents.
- Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
A UHealth—University of Miami Health System cardiology team successfully treated its first patient with a new, FDA-approved technology to help prevent re-narrowing of the coronary artery in patients with previously installed stents.
UHealth is now the first academic medical center in Florida—and among the first in the nation—to offer the new AGENT Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB) treatment developed by Boston Scientific.
“This speaks to our mission to collaborate with industry and academia to bring first-class technologies to the area for first-class care,” said Yiannis Chatzizisis, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and UHealth chief of cardiovascular medicine, who led the medical team that conducted the first DCB procedure.
Dr. Chatzizisis said the first patient was a 73-year-old woman with multiple heart stents who had symptoms including chest pain. She received the DCB treatment in June at the UHealth Tower, the health system’s flagship hospital. She reported in follow-up visits that her pain is now gone.
New Solution for Blocked Heart Stents
Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Plaque builds up inside the artery that carries blood to the heart, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. One of the primary treatments is the insertion of a tiny metal tube, or stent, in blocked areas of the artery. Every year, more than 1.2 million patients in the U.S. are treated with stents.
In up to 20% of these patients, the stent eventually clogs with more plaque or scar tissue. This reclogging, known as coronary in-stent restenosis, is most commonly treated with additional layers of metal stents. But creating a “sandwich” of metal within the heart is not ideal as a long-term solution, Dr. Chatzizisis said. The DCB procedure is a new option.
Minimally-invasive Solution for Coronary Artery Issues
The DCB procedure follows the same method as balloon angioplasty, where a long tube known as a catheter is inserted into an artery in the arm or leg and is guided by the catheter into the artery in the heart. The end of the catheter has a balloon that is inflated to open the artery.
In the case of DCB, the balloon is covered in a drug called paclitaxel. When the ballon is inflated for about one to three minutes, the drug rubs off the balloon and onto the existing stent at the precise area of need. The drug prevents further re-narrowing of the artery. After the drug is applied, the balloon and catheter are removed from the body.
“The advantage is there is no extra metal left behind,” said Dr. Chatzizisis.
In addition, the drug helps to prevent the reoccurrence of coronary in-stent restenosis.
Delivering Impactful Care
The University of Miami continues to offer the innovative DCB procedure to patients in need. The University is also a designated site for a clinical trial for another drug-coated balloon technology that addresses coronary in-stent restenosis.
“We have synergy with industry and academia to bring the latest breakthroughs to our community and deliver impactful care,” Dr. Chatzizisis said.
Tags: coronary artery disease, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dr. Yiannis Chatzizisis, heart disease, specialized stent, USNWR Cardiovascular