Heart lecture focuses on success of balloons, stents

Ballooning of blocked coronary arteries and the success of inserting stents to relieve blockages was the focus of Sarver Heart Center’s third lecture on Dec. 11.

Hoang Thai, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at UA’s Sarver Heart Center and director of the Cardiac Catherization Laboratory at the Southern Arizona Veteran’s Administration Hospital, explained that catherization allows a doctor to see blocked arteries.

The first catherization was done on animals in the mid-1800s, and the first catherization done on a human was in 1929 when Dr. Werner Forsmann performed the procedure on himself.

The first angioplasty, or ballooning of an artery, was performed in 1977 — and that patient is still alive.

Thai said that with advances in medicine, cardiologists regularly perform angioplasty versus coronary bypass surgery, patients usually go home the same day, and those at high risk for bypass surgery can often benefit from this procedure.

Using a catheter that has a small, sausage-shaped balloon at its tip, the physician dilates an area of arterial blockage. Once the artery is “ballooned,” the cardiologist inserts a “stent” — a mesh tube that alleviates diminished blood flow. The stent remains in place permanently.

The balloon catheter is often inserted in the femoral artery in the groin. Thai said that’s his preferred method, because there is more control.

Robotics also add to the procedure’s success as a robot allows for more detailed catherization. Human arteries are only three millimeters in diameter and Thai explained that human-guided robots are very effective in the extremely narrow arteries.

Although ballooning and stenting are quite effective in treating blocked arteries, Thai said, “stenting does not prevent heart attacks, but it will save your life.” He emphasized this by repeating the statement three times.

He stressed the importance of maintaining blood pressure as close to 120/80 as possible and having blood pressure checked regularly, and said, “Hypertension is a very significant risk factor. Preventive medicine is very important. For every two millimeters reduction in blood pressure, there’s a 10 percent risk reduction of stroke and 7 percent risk reduction for having a heart attack.”

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.