A catheter equipped with a tiny fiber optic camera is now being used at UC San Diego Health to treat patients with peripheral artery disease, a build-up of plaque that blocks blood flow in the arteries of the legs and feet, it was announced Monday.
The technology, approved by federal authorities in March, has been used on 10 patients so far at the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center.
UCSD Health said it is the only medical group in San Diego using the device, which allows physicians to see inside arteries for the first time, and by using the visual cues, remove plaque that prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a patient’s extremities.
People with the disease frequently develop life-threatening complications, including heart attack, stroke and, in some severe cases, amputation. PAD affects nearly 20 million adults in the United States and more than 200 million globally, according to UCSD Health.
“Peripheral artery disease greatly impacts quality of life, with patients experiencing cramping, numbness and discoloration of their extremities,” said Drt. Mitul Patel, a cardiologist at UCSD Health.
“This new device is a significant step forward for the treatment of PAD with a more efficient approach for plaque removal and less radiation exposure to the doctor and patient,” he said.
Doctors previously used x-rays to see the condition of arteries. The new device has a camera the size of a grain of salt that is fed through a small incision in the groin that does not require full anesthesia.
Once the camera is inside, an interventional cardiologist can remove plaque without damaging the artery wall, which can cause further narrowing.
—City News Service
