Scottsdale, Ariz.-based HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute is among the first facilities in the nation — and one of 30 worldwide — to use new stroke prevention stents, according to a May 29 news release.
The device is a non-surgical, catheter-based implant that fights plaque buildup in arteries connected to the neck and brain. It is an experimental treatment for carotid artery stenosis or carotid artery disease being piloted in clinical trials as a three-in-one "carotid stent and post-dilation balloon system [which] is designed to deliver a self-expanding carotid artery stent while using a special filter to prevent emboli (blockage) debris from reaching the brain," according to the release.
Traditionally, the diagnosis would require a carotid endarterectomy, which requires surgery via an incision on the neck, but the new procedure avoids it.
Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD, a vascular surgeon and director of HonorHealth's vascular services, was part of the team that performed the first implant procedure with the new stent in a 76-year-old patient who was experiencing 85% blockage in her arteries, which made her a fit for the clinical trial.
"This new system combines a truly innovative stent design," Dr. Ramaiah said in the release. "We were fortunate to be the first in the Southwest to use such technology."
The stent will continue to be piloted as patients are enrolled in the clinical trial throughout the end of 2024, according to HonorHealth.