Biodegradable stents to make treatment of arterial blocks easy

Panaji, Mar 17 (UNI) Treating arterial blocks that claim a heavy toll of heart attacks in the world would become quite simpler with introduction of new devices, including biodegradable stents.

Innovations are underway by leading German healthcare instruments manufacturer EuroCor GmbH on designing and developing biodegradable stents that dissolve within the body in a few months unlike the traditional stents.

''Animal trials begin this year and it is the future technology.

We are using a magnesium alloy in combination with an organic compound that could easily dissolve after the stent is introduced in the blocked artery,'' claims Dr Michael Orlowski, chief executive officer of the company.

Also under experimental stage are further innovations on stent procedures such as ''drug eluting balloon catheters and magical drug absorbing coronary stent systems'' to replace the popular drug eluting stents to treat arterial blocks, he said.

Disclosing this to reporters here yesterday, he said the drug eluting balloon catheter dilates the lesion within 40 seconds and treats the reoccluded block, thus avoiding the use of another stent implant in case of restenosis.

Dr Orlowski was here in connection with the inauguration of the two-day 'Interventional Cardiology Summit - 2007' by Padmashree Dr B K Goyal, Dean, Bombay Hospital.

Some American companies, he said, were developing biodegradable stents using polymers but they are 170 microns thick, taking at least two years to absorb in the body as against the German stents.

Another devise underway was magical drug absorbing coronary stent system which would come out within 2 years.

India alone had performed 80,000 operations using what is popularly known as 'Balloon angioplasty' procedure in 2006 as against 60,000 in the previous year.

Earlier, heart patients had to undergo by-pass surgery, spending at least a fortnight in the speciality hospitals besides incurring heavy expenditure.

The by-pass surgeries had come down to 40,000 last year, said Dr Uday Khanolkar, head of Cardiology department, Apollo Victor Hospital in Goa.

UNI