DMC Heart Hospital First in U.S. to Use New Device to Treat Vascular Disease

DETROIT, Oct. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) today announced Drs. Theodore Schreiber and Mahir Elder and are first in the country to use the Lutonix ® 035 Drug Coated Balloon PTA Catheter (DCB), the first and only DCB approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"This demonstrates the dedication of DMC Heart Hospital to provide cutting edge technology which is cost effective in combating cardiovascular disease," said President of DMC Heart Hospital Dr. Schreiber. "This advanced technology is first available at DMC Heart Hospital."

When a Detroit patient with advanced Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) arrived at the DMC Heart Hospital complaining of severe leg pains, Dr. Elder, DMC Heart Hospital's Medical Director of Endovascular Medicine, quickly examined her and discovered that the superficial femoral artery in one of her legs had an 85-percent blockage. Dr. Elder immediately decided to use the new Bard Lutonix drug-coated balloon Saturday, October 11 to remove the arterial blockage. In a painless procedure lasting only 30 minutes, he successfully employed the new device, completely removing the blockage and restoring the middle-aged Detroit patient's full leg function.

Dr. Elder, an award-winning physician who has in recent years performed thousands of successful procedures for patients with threatening arterial blockages of one kind or another, said "the procedure was quick and painless and the patient went home the next morning."

"This new tool is going to help PAD patients greatly, because the medication that is included on the balloon significantly enhances its ability to remove arterial blockages," he said. "This new non-surgical technology will help improve circulation in the leg." DMC Heart hospital is number one hospital in metro area treating PAD with minimally invasive techniques.

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) in the femoropopliteal artery, a life-threatening condition, affects millions of Americans by narrowing arteries and reducing blood flow to the limbs, according to American Heart Association (AHA) estimates. Patients with PAD in the femoropopliteal arteries are at risk for lower-extremity amputation, particularly in people over the age of 50. Minimally-invasive endovascular procedures such as angioplasty balloons and stents, medications and vascular bypass surgery are some of the accepted ways to treat PAD, but these options may be limited depending on the type of arterial blockage.

Successful treatment of PAD requires improved blood flow (patency) for longer periods of time. A recent clinical study demonstrated superior primary patency with the Lutonix ® 035 DCB for the efficacy endpoint. The Lutonix ® 035 Drug Coated Balloon PTA Catheter (DCB) is the first and only DCB approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, after pre-dilatation, of de novo or restenotic lesions up to 150mm in length in native superficial femoral or popliteal arteries with reference vessel diameters of 4-6mm.

Those with additional questions or can learn more about DMC Heart Hospital services by calling 1-888-DMC-2500 or visiting www.dmc.org/heart.

About the Detroit Medical Center

The Detroit Medical Center operates DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan with nine specialties centers, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, DMC Harper University Hospital, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, DMC Hutzel Women's Hospital, DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan with more than 30 outpatient locations, DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital, DMC Surgery Hospital, and new DMC Heart Hospital. Detroit Medical Center is proud to be the official Healthcare Services Provider of the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Grand Prix and the Detroit Free Press Marathon, with six DMC Sports Medicine clinics and Sports Performance Academy locations.

For more information, visit www.dmc.org. "Like" DMC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dmcheals, follow DMC on Twitter at @dmc_heals or visit the DMC YouTube page at www.youtube.com/DetroitMedicalCenter.

SOURCE Detroit Medical Center