Vascular Brachytherapy

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You are here : Home : welcome to deaconess hospital : Our Services : Heart Services : Cardiovascular Services : Cardiovascular Procedures : Vascular Brachytherapy

vascular brachytherapy

Revolutionary Heart Care at Deaconess Hospital

Deaconess Hospital is the only provider in the region to offer vascular brachytherapy, a revolutionary procedure that reduces the need for repeated angioplasty procedures. In 2001, the treatment became another Deaconess first.

Limitations of Angioplasty and Stent Insertion
When coronary arteries become blocked with plaque, angioplasty is commonly used to clear the blockage. In about 75% of patients, angioplasty is followed by placement of a stent – a mesh, metal tube that holds the artery open. Although angioplasty is usually successful in opening clogged arteries and restoring blood flow, these benefits are often lost within six months of the procedure.

Restenosis, or narrowing of a previously treated artery, occurs in about 40% of patients treated with angioplasty alone. Approximately 30% of patients treated with angioplasty and stent experience restenosis. In the past, many of these patients would require multiple treatments.

Overcoming the Limitations
Restenosis is not caused by a regrowth of plaque. Rather, arteries become blocked by tissue that grows in response to the angioplasty procedure - similar to scar tissue. Vascular brachytherapy utilizes radiation to prevent restenosis.

In vascular brachytherapy, standard angioplasty is followed by insertion of a closed-end radiation catheter that delivers “seeds” of beta radiation to the treatment area. After just a few minutes of treatment, the catheter and the seeds are removed, leaving no radiation source in the body. The radiation prevents growth of scar tissue, minimizing cases of restenosis.

Deaconess Hospital was also the first facility in the Tri-State to insert a drug-eluting stent, another revolutionary treatment aimed at avoiding restenosis and repeated procedures.