In what can be considered a giant leap forward in the treatment of coronary heart artery disease in India, Dr Sengottuvelu of Apollo hospitals, Chennai, successfully treated a 51- year old diabetic patient with two artery blockages, using the newly unveiled bioabsorbable stent, ABSORB.
The drug-eluting bioabsorbable vascular scaffold is the first self absorbing stent facilitating restoration of blood flow to a diseased blood vessel, thereby leaving the patient without a permanent implant in the body.
A leading Interventional Cardiologist at Apollo and the doctor who performed the surgery, Dr Sengottuvelu said, “The new bioabsorbable stent, which can dissolve completely after some 18 odd months in the blood vessel, is set to revolutionize the treatment of cardiac problems in India.”
From bypass graft surgeries and balloon angioplasties in the 1970s, treatment for the deadly coronary disease has witnessed many a transformation to most recently enter the self-absorbing stent era. The treatment, apart from providing greater flexibility to the blood vessels is also expected to invalidate or reduce to a large extent, the need for a long-term dual anti platelet or blood-thinning therapy post treatment.
“Bioabsorbable stents, such as Absorb, will broaden treatment and diagnostic options, reduce the need for long-term anti-platelet therapy and reduce the risk of in-stent restenosis and thrombosis.”
Post the complete absorption of the stent, blood vessels are expected to resume the normal contraction and relaxation function thus making it possible for a bypass graft to be situated in the very location, should it be deemed necessary in future.
However, unavailability of stents of all sizes and the need for a proper clearing of the blood vessel bed with a balloon before the replacement of the stent act as potential setbacks, Dr Sengottuvelu said.
by RTT Staff Writer
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