Dr. Ranjan Kr. Sharma, Senior Consultant, Cardiology at Manipal Hospital, Saltlake, successfully carried out the hospital group’s first advanced atherectomy-assisted treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) in Kolkata, marking a significant advancement in advanced vascular therapy. A 75-plus-year-old patient with both leg and heart artery blockages underwent the minimally invasive procedure, which allowed him to recuperate swiftly and resume his regular activities in as little as 24 hours.

Eleven years prior, the patient had angioplasty, which involved the implantation of two stents in the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) and Right Coronary Arteries (RCA), two vital heart arteries. He recently developed claudication, a classic symptom of peripheral artery disease (PAD), which is characterized by shortness of breath and excruciating pain in his left leg when walking. PAD is a condition in which the arteries supplying blood to the legs narrow or become blocked, typically as a result of atherosclerosis (fatty plaque buildup).

Although the earlier stents were still operating effectively, a new blockage had formed in the right coronary artery beyond the previous stent, according to a recent angiography. More worrisome were two major blockages in the left superficial femoral artery, which supplies blood to the leg, ranging from 70 to 80% and 90%, with one of them highly calcified.  To restore blood flow to the heart, the hospital’s cardiac experts first carried out a standard coronary angioplasty. However, a more sophisticated method was needed to treat leg arteries.

Leg arteries are subject to external pressure from everyday activities like sitting and bending, which makes long-term stenting less effective than heart arteries. For the first time at the hospital, physicians employed a cutting-edge atherectomy gadget to overcome this obstacle. The gadget delicately removes calcium and hardened cholesterol deposits from the artery using a high-speed, drill-like spinning tip. Debris is simultaneously removed by an integrated suction system, which stops it from reaching smaller vessels. This greatly lessens the need for permanent stents and gets the artery ready for safer balloon treatment.

The extra step is minimally invasive and only takes 15 to 20 minutes. Due to the minor groin puncture used to access the artery, the patient was watched for 24 hours before being released the following day. It was suggested that he can soon return to his regular activities.

Manipal Hospital, Saltlake has strengthened its complete cardiac and vascular care services with the introduction of this state-of-the-art atherectomy technology, providing patients throughout Eastern India with safer treatments, quicker recovery times, and better long-term results.

Priyanka Dutta