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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
New Procedures
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
New Procedures
by Susan__0__0, Feb 04, 1999 12:00AM
My father six years ago had a heart attack and underwent angioplasty.
Well, about six months ago he went back in for an angiogram and ended up with four stents in his heart, three in one vein and one in another smaller vein.
Two weeks ago he had to go in again for a similar procedure to the angiogram. Scar tissue had built up in the stents and the vein (with the three stents) was completely closed.
What I want to know is about a new procedure that is still being researched that places radiation pellets in the vein to prevent regrowth of the scar tissue. What is the name of this new procedure? What exactly happens?
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Dear Susan
We are involved with testing radiation therapy as a treatment of scar tissue build-up inside a stent. This treatment is still experimental, though preliminary data is encouraging. The radiation seems to prevent scar tissue formation. However, the long term risks are still unknown.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
