Cheyenne (Wyo.) Regional Medical Center recently became the first in the state to use Shockwave technology in a calcified coronary plaque procedure, The Cheyenne Post reported March 20.
The technology used by cardiologists is a novel use of lithotripsy, an approach using sonic pressure waves to break up kidney stones.
"Shockwave technology allows cardiologists to fracture problematic calcium using sonic pressure waves so that the artery can be expanded and a stent placed to safely restore blood flow to the heart," Abdur Khan, MD, a Cheyenne Regional Medical Group interventional cardiologist, told The Cheyenne Post.