Drug-coated stents solve problems with aging vein grafts

Blockages in vein-bypass grafts which route blood away from diseased areas of the heart can be helped dramatically through the use of drug-coated stents, according to the June issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions: Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.

Instead of using the bare-metal variety, these stents are medicated with slow-releasing Sirolimus which inhibits scar tissue within veins and have been shown to reduce new blockages by as much as two-thirds.

The study looked at 35 patients who all underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery approximately 10 years ago. These patients required widening of a narrowed vein graft and had interventional cardiologists implant a sirolimus-coated stent at the problem area. After a period of 8 months, only 6 percent of patients required a repeat procedure on the treated vein, perhaps one-third to one-half as many as would have been expected based on studies of bare-metal stents, according to the study.

In coming years several additional multicenter trials will provide further insight into the treatment of aging vein grafts.

Around the web

The new technology shows early potential to make a significant impact on imaging workflows and patient care. 

Richard Heller III, MD, RSNA board member and senior VP of policy at Radiology Partners, offers an overview of policies in Congress that are directly impacting imaging.
 

The two companies aim to improve patient access to high-quality MRI scans by combining their artificial intelligence capabilities.