Mechanism for Improved Angioplasty Results Discovered.SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--June 30, 1998--Interventional Technologies, a high technology developer of medical devices for treating cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Mentioned in: Lipoproteins Test cardiovascular disease , announced the publication of an important paper which explains the previously noted and demonstrated benefits of the company's Cutting Balloon angioplasty catheter. Approximately 30 to 50 percent of angioplasty patients experience restenosis, the re-clogging of the artery, within six months after the procedure. Interventional's Cutting Balloon has been shown to produce significantly lower restenosis rates than conventional balloon angioplasty balloon angioplasty: see under angioplasty. . Using microtome-sharp blades mounted on the surface of the balloon, minute surgical incisions relieve the hoop stress of the artery and reduce vessel wall injury during dilatation dilatation /dil·a·ta·tion/ (dil?ah-ta´shun) 1. the condition, as of an orifice or tubular structure, of being dilated or stretched beyond normal dimensions. 2. the act of dilating or stretching. (opening). Until now, however, the mechanism through which the better long-term results are achieved has been poorly understood. In the June 30 issue of Circulation, Dr. Teruo Inoue reported that conventional angioplasty produces neutrophil neutrophil /neu·tro·phil/ (noo´tro-fil) 1. a granular leukocyte having a nucleus with three to five lobes connected by threads of chromatin, and cytoplasm containing very fine granules; cf. heterophil. 2. activation and releases a variety of inflammatory mediators which exacerbate endothelial endothelial /en·do·the·li·al/ (-the´le-al) pertaining to or made up of endothelium. Endothelial A layer of cells that lines the inside of certain body cavities, for example, blood vessels. damage and stimulate platelets. These events contribute to the development of intimal hyperplasia or smooth muscle cell proliferation and the resulting restenosis. In a randomized ran·dom·ize tr.v. ran·dom·ized, ran·dom·iz·ing, ran·dom·iz·es To make random in arrangement, especially in order to control the variables in an experiment. study, Dr. Inoue's group discovered that Cutting Balloon angioplasty induces less neutrophil activation. It is believed that this is a clinical indicator of less vascular injury and subsequent inflammatory reaction. This work suggests that less injury and inflammation might be the explanation for the strikingly lower restenosis rate after Cutting Balloon angioplasty as compared to the conventional procedure. Robert E. Reiss, Interventional's chief executive officer commented on this report, "The work of Dr. Inoue's group is very exciting, and offers a biomolecular explanation for the excellent results cardiologists around the world are seeing with the Cutting Balloon." The Cutting Balloon has been successfully used to open clogged arteries in more than 20,000 patients overseas, and Interventional has filed for FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. clearance to market the Cutting Balloon in the United States. Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association American Heart Association (AHA), n.pr a national voluntary health agency that has the goal of increasing public and medical awareness of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and thereby reducing the number of associated deaths and disabilities. , publishes original contributions of scientific excellence concerned with clinical and laboratory research relevant to cardiovascular disease. Dr. Teruo Inoue's work offers the first explanation of why the Cutting Balloon has such better results than conventional balloon angioplasty ("Lower Expression of Neutrophil Adhesion Molecule Indicates Less Vessel Wall Injury and Might Explain Lower Restenosis Rate After Cutting Balloon Angioplasty," Teruo Inoue, M.D.; Yoshihiko Sakai, M.D.; Kazuhiro Hoshi, M.D.; Isao Yaguchi, M.D.; Tsuneo Fujito, M.D.; Shigenori Morooka, M.D.; Circulation. 1998:97:2511-2518). Interventional Technologies develops engineering solutions for treating cardiovascular disease. In addition to the Cutting Balloon, the company markets the TEC thrombectomy thrombectomy /throm·bec·to·my/ (throm-bek´tah-me) surgical removal of a clot from a blood vessel. throm·bec·to·my n. Excision of a thrombus. system to remove plaque and thrombus thrombus /throm·bus/ (throm´bus) pl. throm´bi a stationary blood clot along the wall of a blood vessel, frequently causing vascular obstruction. (blood clots) from diseased arteries and the Trackwire family of guide wires. Other products in various stages of clinical trials include the Infiltrator and Iradiator local drug and radiation delivery systems, the FullFlow non-balloon perfusion dilatation system, and the LP Stent low pressure stent system. Its facilities are in San Diego and Murrieta, Calif., and Letterkenny, Ireland. Nearly half of its sales are outside the United States.
CONTACT: Interventional Technologies Inc.
Robert E. Reiss, 619/268-4488 ext. 2846
OR
Koshigaya Hospital
Dokkyo University School of Medicine
Teruo Inoue, M.D., 81-489-65-1111
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion