Heart attack therapy New stent dissolves

Heart attack therapy: New stent - a vascular support dissolves by itself

11/30/2013

The cardiological university hospital of the St. Josef Hospital was the first in Bochum and the surrounding area to successfully use a 44-year-old heart attack patient with a novel, self-dissolving stent. This special vascular support allows clinic director Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Mügge and his team to treat risky bottlenecks in the coronary vessels significantly gentler.

The new stent was quickly and completely unproblematically used in a short hospital stay by catheter. The old stents that are used for infarcts and other diseases are metal stents that stay in the body for a lifetime. Resulting occasional side effects are now prevented by the new method.

The first cardiologist trained and certified in Bochum for this purpose is senior physician Dr. med. Kaffir Kara: „It is a newly developed stent consisting of lactic acid crystals that remain stable for three to six months. Afterwards, they are gradually absorbed by the blood, without the patients feeling any of it. During this time, a special coating prevents tissue proliferation and thus a renewed vasoconstriction. These stents stabilize the vessel wall only until the injuries have healed again and the vessel fulfills its function by itself. And because no foreign material remains in the coronary artery, in the long run the risk of thrombosis and thus of possible recontamination decreases.“

Clinic Director Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Mügge sees decisive advantages in the new therapy procedure: „Hereby we qualitatively increase the patient care. So far, diseased vessels were repaired purely mechanically. Although the stents used so far help the patient well, they also remain in the vessel for the rest of their life. We are pleased to be able to treat constricted vessels in the future in this way without leaving behind long-term residues. This gives the vessel the opportunity to regenerate. And even with this procedure, the patient is not unnecessarily burdened, anesthesia is not required.“

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is at the top of the list. In CHD, the arteries that supply blood to the heart narrow or clog plaques. Plaque consists of fat, cholesterol, lime and other deposits that accumulate on the inner walls of the vessel. Over time, this plaque hardens and narrows the arteries, which limits the supply of the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. Plaque can also rupture and cause blood clots on the surface of the plaque. Decreased or blocked blood flow to the heart can lead to angina (chest pain) or heart attack. (Pm)