Munson Medical Center one of 100 facilities nationally with FDA-approved technology
Munson Medical Center recently became one of the first 100 hospitals in the nation to receive bioresorbable scaffold stent-like devices to treat patients with coronary artery disease. The device was recently approved for use by the FDA.
The hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab Medical Director Nicklaus Slocum, MD, FACC, FSCAI, said being selected as one of the first hospitals nationally to use the device is an honor.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Munson Medical Center to be one of the first 100 hospitals in the U.S. to offer coronary bioresorbable stents in a commercial setting. Our interventional team was involved in the clinical trial that lead to this bioresorbable stent being approved in the U.S. and we are very excited to continue to bring innovative technologies to our community,” he said. “This experience highlights the synergy between our research and clinical divisions in cardiovascular medicine and how this diversity can enhance our community’s cardiovascular care and experience.”
Interventional Cardiologist Kevin Clayton, DO, FACC, said the device is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories and placed in the body similar to a stent. And like a drug-eluting metal stent, it releases the drug everolimus to limit growth of scar tissue. The bioresorbable scaffold is gradually absorbed by the body over three years.
“It’s another option for treatment of patients with coronary artery disease or coronary stenosis,” Dr. Clayton said. He was primary investigator at the hospital for a year-long research trial that nationally saw 1,990 patients receive the device – including patients at Munson Medical Center. Worldwide, 30,000 patients have been part of studies related to the device.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports that coronary heart disease is responsible for about 370,000 deaths each year in the U.S. The condition develops when cholesterol-containing deposits build up and narrow the coronary arteries, decreasing blood flow to the heart. This can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue or other heart disease symptoms.
Bioresorbable or bioabsorbable scaffold devices are meant to reduce the body’s exposure to foreign substances like polymers, which can trigger inflammation reactions. Not every patient who requires percutaneous coronary intervention will be eligible for the stent due to several factors, including the size of the blood vessel, Dr. Clayton said.
Abbott’s Absorb GT1 Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold System uses a type of bioplastic called poly L-lactide. After absorption, four very small platinum markers, like ink dots, remain embedded in walls of the artery, which allow cardiologists to identify where the stent was originally placed. However, should the patient require a future surgery, use of the bioresorbable device would allow a surgeon to sew into that area, something not possible with a metal stent.
Dr. Clayton expects maybe 10 percent to 15 percent of Munson Medical Center patients will be eligible for the stents during this first year. “We will start slowly, but over time I expect the number of patients to grow,” he said. “We’ve already used one in our first patient and it went very well.”
Unlike metal stents, the bioresorbable scaffold will allow blood vessels to expand during exercise and Dr. Clayton said research about the benefits to patients will continue.
More information on Munson Medical Center’s heart services and Webber Heart Center can be found at munsonhealthcare.org/heartservices.