TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Parrish Medical Center is Brevard County’s first hospital to implant a first-of-its-kind dissolvable stent to treat patients with severe below-the-knee arterial disease.
The FDA approved Brevard County’s first-of-its-kind dissolvable stent, known as Esprit BTK System, which is a small, drug-elating stent to treat Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), and works by clearing blocked arteries over time.
Parrish Healthcare inventional cardiologist Dr. Mahmoud Barbarawi was the first to perform a catheter-based procedure using Esprit BTK Everolimus-Eluting Resorbable Scaffold System.
The small, dissolvable stent works by improving blood flow in the body, and is specifically engineered to treat chronic limb-threatening ischemia.
According to Parrish Health, limb-threatening ischemia is the most severe form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and the treatment is a revolutionary first for Titusville residents.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is plaque buildup in your arteries. Your arteries carry oxygen and nutrient-rich blood from your heart to your arms and legs.
“This advanced, bioresorbable stent is designed to maintain potency in below-the-knee arteries and deliver everolimus to support vessel healing and reduce restenosis before it dissolves,” Barbarawi said. “Treating below-the-knee peripheral arterial disease presents unique challenges, including a high risk of reintervention within 12 months.”
Barbarawi noted that the Esprit BTK system is currently the first device of its kind and may pave the way for additional treatment options.
“The dissolvable stent represents a major milestone in the management of complex below-the-knee PAD,” he said. “As a physician, I take great satisfaction in knowing that Parrish Healthcare is employing cutting-edge technologies to enhance patient care and safety.”
Peripheral artery disease affects approximately 20 million people in the United States. Of those, more than 10% develop critical limb ischemia, which has a profound impact on both quality of life and life expectancy, with a prognosis that is worse than that of many cancers.
Parrish Healthcare was the nation’s first member of Cleveland Clinic Connected, a collaboration that brings together Cleveland Clinic experts to enhance patient care, quality, and safety.
Barbarawi is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and has authored more than 100 scientific publications, including work focused on peripheral arterial disease. He is an interventional and endovascular cardiologist with Parrish Medical Group.
For more information about peripheral arterial disease, the Esprit BTK Everolimus-Eluting Resorbable Scaffold System or Parrish Healthcare’s cardiovascular program, visit parrishhealthcare.com/cardiovasular or call 321-268-6868.
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