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September 8, 2004
Leading Oklahoma in
Heart Research
Oklahoma
City—Oklahoma Heart Hospital is among the nation’s first hospitals and
the only hospital in Oklahoma taking part in an international clinical
trial of a drug-coated stent in a cardiac patient.
Although stents
have been available for many years, drug-coated stents are new to the
market. Bare metal stents serve as tiny metal scaffolds that help keep
arteries open, but over time many patients need additional procedures
because the arteries tend to clog up again due to scar tissue.
Drug-coated stents help prevent arteries from getting plugged up with
tissue.
“Boston
Scientific did a study that involved more than 1,300 patients and only 3
percent of those with a drug-coated stent needed a second procedure
within nine months, in contrast to 11 percent who received a bare-metal
stent,” said Dr. Thomas McGarry, an Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates’
interventional cardiologist and the principal investigator in the stent
research. “For patients, placing a drug-coated stent versus undergoing a
bypass operation translates to less trauma and a shorter recovery time.”
Instead of a
standard eight- to 10-inch incision in the chest for bypass surgery,
angioplasty and stents only requires a small opening in the femoral
artery in the groin. Through the groin opening, physicians guide a tiny
balloon to a blockage near the heart, then inflate it to unclog the
artery. As the balloon expands, the stent does as well.
The Liberté
stent, made by Boston Scientific Corp., is coated with a chemotherapy
drug called paclitaxel that helps prevent tissue growth inside the stent.
Almost three years ago, Oklahoma Foundation for Cardiovascular
Research—supported by Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates and Oklahoma
Heart Hospital—participated in early research of this type of stent.
This is the first drug-eluting stent trial using a second-generation
stent.
“With Oklahoma
ranking second in the nation in deaths due to heart disease, it’s
critical that the Oklahoma Heart Hospital continues to lead the state in
cardiovascular research and technology,” said Dr. McGarry. “We continue
to be committed to bringing the latest medical advances to our state in
diagnosing and treating heart disease.”
Oklahoma Heart
Hospital, the first all-digital hospital in the nation, is a partnership
between Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates and Mercy Health Center,
along with other cardiovascular physicians.
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