|
October 6, 2003
OHH is the Only Place
in the State Taking Part in National Study
Oklahoma
City—Oklahoma Heart Hospital is the only hospital in Oklahoma taking
part in a national clinical study of a new investigational device to
seal holes in stroke victims’ hearts.
The STARFlex,
currently in the FDA-approval process, prevents blood clots from
traveling to the brain and causing a stroke by patching a hole between
the right and left atriums.
“We’re
participating in this national study to see if this device is better
than current medical therapy,” said Dr. Robert Kipperman, cardiologist
at Oklahoma Heart Hospital.
About one in
ten people have a natural opening in the wall of the upper chamber of
the heart that fails to close at birth, leaving the potential for blood
clots to travel to the brain and cause a stroke in a small number of
patients. STARFlex provides a minimally invasive way to treat patients
who have already suffered a stroke.
STARFlex is a
part of a national clinical study called Closure I. The study is being
conducted to determine the most effective form of treatment for patients
who have had a stroke and have a small heart defect. STARFlex is an
updated version of the FDA-approved CardioSEAL that has been used to
patch holes within the heart for patients who have failed medical
therapy. Oklahoma Heart Hospital was the first in the state to place
CardioSEAL devices in stroke patients.
“We are the
most experienced center in the state for repairing holes in the heart
with minimally invasive techniques,” said Dr. Kipperman. “This is a
great benefit for patients who would normally face open-heart surgery.”
The STARFlex,
when collapsed, fits in a catheter that is threaded through the veins to
the heart. Unlike CardioSEAL, STARFlex is a self-centering mechanism
that consists of flexible springs so that it can automatically adjust to
different shapes and locations of heart defects. Within four to six
months, the normal lining of the heart covers the device, becoming a
permanent part of the heart wall.
Patients who
undergo this procedure have minimal anesthesia, virtually no pain, and
can resume normal activity within days.
Oklahoma Heart
Hospital is a partnership between Mercy Health Center and Oklahoma
Cardiovascular Associates, along with other cardiovascular physicians.
### |
