Washington Hospital Cardiologist Performs First State-of-the-Art Stentless Vascular Procedure

Fremont, CA, April 13, 2012- This week, Dr. Ash Jain, a well known cardiologist practicing at Washington Hospital, performed the first of its kind angioplasty procedure in the country for Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) using a drug-eluting balloon instead of the traditional stent. This drug-eluting balloon has demonstrated significant reductions in recurrence of a blocked artery compared to the more common procedure using a stent. Additionally, the new procedure allows patients with peripheral arterial disease to undergo treatment without having a foreign object, the stent, being left in the body.

“This procedure is a step towards ideal treatment: that is, opening up a blockage and keeping it open forever,” said Ash Jain, MD, cardiologist, Medical Director of Invasive Vascular Imaging, Medical Co-Director of Cardiac Care Service, Medical Co-Director of Vascular Services Program. “This procedure is better than current treatments because we leave no foreign materials behind in the body, and we get a good, if not better outcome for the patient.”

The patient who underwent the procedure is recovering well and early indications show that the operation was successful.

P.A.D. is generally associated with blocked arteries of the legs, but it can also affect the arteries that carry blood from your heart to your head, arms, kidneys and stomach. The blockage is most often the result of a chronic buildup of hard fatty material into the inside lining of the arterial wall of the legs. P.A.D. also increases one’s risk for heart attack and stroke. Until now, treatment consisted of inserting a catheter with a balloon at the tip into the artery. The balloon is inflated, compressing the fatty material and making more room for blood flow. Then, a stent is placed inside this area to keep the artery from closing again.

Now, there is an efficacious stent-free approach that has resulted in consistent clinical improvements. The new treatment has many advantages, including removing the need for a stent to keep the artery open. As a result, patients improved more with less relapses than similar patients who were treated with a stent.

“Washington Hospital is proud to be on the cutting edge of new procedures that will dramatically improve patient care and health,” said Nancy Farber, CEO. “This is just one example of how our hospital and medical community are translating state of the art technology into advanced patient care.”

Each year, more than 100,000 peripheral arterial reconstructive operations and 50,000 lower limb amputations for lower extremity limb ischemia are performed in the United States. About Washington Township Health Care District: Washington Township Health Care District is governed by an elected board of directors. Unlike a municipal or county hospital, Washington Hospital’s operating expenses, research, community programs, and employee salaries are funded by revenues generated through providing patient and other health care services. Washington Hospital Healthcare System includes a 359-bed acute-care hospital; the Taylor McAdam Bell Neuroscience Institute; The Gamma Knife® Center; Washington Radiation Oncology Center; Washington Outpatient Surgery Center; Washington Outpatient Rehabilitation Center; Washington Outpatient Catheterization Laboratory; Washington Center for Joint Replacement; the Institute for Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery; and Washington West, a complex which houses Washington Women’s Center, Outpatient Imaging Center, Sandy Amos R.N. Infusion Center, Washington Urgent Care and additional outpatient hospital services and administrative facilities.