New tool may help sand off arterial plaque
In order to prevent the buildup of cholesterol in the arteries, American heart patients can buy Canadian Lipitor at a cheaper price than in the U.S.
In order to prevent the buildup of cholesterol in the arteries, American heart patients can buy Canadian Lipitor at a cheaper price than in the U.S. When cholesterol accumulates in the coronary blood vessels, the plaques may harden and constrict blood flow. However, physicians at Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) are conducting a clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of orbital technology in clearing away these coronary plaques.
Orbital technology can be thought of as microscopic drills used to sand away calcified plaques. ORMC is currently using this type of tool as a treatment for peripheral arterial disease, which has the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Doctors at ORMC are currently conducting a clinical trial on coronary plaques.
The procedure would involve a catheter inserted into the groin, through the blood vessels and toward the heart's arteries. Once there, a hair-thin wire travels along the catheter's path to the plaques, where a diamond-coated crown sands away at the formations at between 80,000 and 120,000 orbits a minute.
"Recovery from open heart or bypass surgery can take as long as a week or longer. Using the orbital device, most patients are back home the day after the procedure and at work the next day," cardiologist Barry Weinstock, M.D., said in a press release.
|
