Allegheny Health Network : Offering innovative heart and cardiovascular care
Innovative technology helps Allegheny Health Network doctors treat leg artery blockages and evaluate coronary artery blockages
headlights . We now have the ability to clearly see our way through the artery . This means there is less risk of damaging the artery walls .”
Tom Krigar , of Adams Township , Butler County , underwent both the Pantheris and Ocelot procedures in April , after pain in his calves had gotten so bad that he could not walk on a treadmill .
Now , he ’ s back on the treadmill , pain-free and walking several miles a day .
“ This means a lot to me . I ’ m back to normal . I can do almost anything now ,” Tom said .
A team of cardiovascular surgeons at Allegheny General Hospital ( AGH ) recently became the first in the region to use a groundbreaking new technology to provide relief for patients suffering from peripheral artery disease ( PAD ).
It ’ s just one of the ways that Allegheny Health Network ( AHN ) uses new Federal Drug Administration-approved ( FDA ) innovations and advances in patient heart and cardiovascular care for the best possible outcomes .
Affecting nearly 20 million adults annually in the U . S ., PAD is caused by a build-up of plaque that blocks blood flow in the arteries of the legs or feet . Until recently , physicians treating PAD used X-rays and a touch-and-feel approach to guide their way through the arteries to the obstruction area .
With an advanced imaging tool called optical coherence tomography ( OCT ), AHN physicians can navigate through arteries more effectively and safely . OCT is the hallmark of innovative catheter instruments developed by California-based Avinger – called the Ocelot™ lumivascular catheter and Pantheris™ atherectomy systems – that are being used by the AGH team .
With the Pantheris™ atherectomy system , physicians can see and remove plaque simultaneously during an atherectomy , a minimally invasive procedure that cuts plaque away from the artery and restores blood flow . AGH vascular surgeons can use the Ocelot™ lumivascular catheter on a complete artery blockage .
“ Previously , the way we treated PAD with catheters was a bit like driving down your street in the dark ,” said Satish C . Muluk , MD , Director of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Vice Chair of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at AHN . “ You might know where you ’ re going , but you can ’ t see everything along the way . Using Ocelot and Pantheris , however , is like turning on the
Highmark Health and AHN are also partnering to evaluate cuttingedge diagnostic technology that creates a 3-D model of a patient ’ s coronary arteries , allowing a physician to see a patient ’ s coronary arterial blockage and how that blockage is affecting blood flow .
The Heart Flow Analysis uses images from a non-invasive coronary CT angiogram that uses computer algorithms to assess the blockage impact on blood flow . This information helps a physician chart the best course of action for each patient .
AHN cardiologists said that the analysis has provided more definitive clinical information that has led to an improved treatment strategy for several patients . One patient dealt with chest pains for more than a year , but two stress tests showed normal results . After a HeartFlow analysis , the patient underwent a revascularization with two stents . Another patient with a history of hypertension avoided an invasive angiography after a HeartFlow analysis showed her disease could be treated with medication .
“ These examples illustrate how this innovative technology can potentially assist cardiologists to improve their diagnostic skills so that the right care can be prescribed to the right patient ,” said Srinivas Murali , MD , Director of AHN ’ s Cardiovascular Institute .
These latest advances are part of Highmark Health ’ s VITAL ( Verification of Innovation by Testing , Analysis and Learning ) Innovation Program , partnering with AHN .
“ The mission of the VITAL Innovation program is to leverage Highmark Health ’ s position as one of the largest integrated health care delivery and financing systems in the nation in order to accelerate the pace with which novel technologies and services are made available to the public ” said David Holmberg , President and Chief Executive Officer of Highmark Health .
To be referred to a cardiologist or vascular surgeon , call 412 . DOCTORS ( 362.8677 ) or go to AHN . org .