Dallas Cardiologists Explore ‘Next Frontier’ in Vascular-Disease Treatments

DALLAS, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is one of only a handful of medical centers in the United States — and the only Texas facility — to broadcast live interventional cases to the prestigious Vascular InterVentional Advances conference, held this week in Las Vegas, Nev.

The VIVA conference will educate over 1,000 physicians and medical personnel on the latest advances in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a looming health crisis as the U.S. population ages and more Americans battle obesity.

Drs. Tony Das and James Park, interventional cardiologists at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, will perform cases from Presbyterian’s cardiac catheterization lab. The procedures will be transmitted in high-definition to the conference in Las Vegas, where cardiac experts from around the world will be assembled.

“With the prevalence of diabetes and obesity among an already aging population, the challenges facing those involved in the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral vascular disease are overwhelming,” Dr. Das said. “It’s a problem that will increasingly challenge medical experts around the country in coming years.”

Other sites for live cases include The Cleveland Clinic and the University of California Davis Medical Center.

PVD is a common condition affecting more than 10 million adults in the United States. The condition is a disease of blood vessels outside the heart and brain characterized by a narrowing of vessels that carry blood to the legs, arms, stomach and kidney.

The live cases from Presbyterian will demonstrate complex vascular procedures to open and stent arteries supplying the kidneys, focusing part of their session on the increase in renal artery disease in the United States. Other cases will focus on techniques to open complex blockages of the femoral and tibial arteries, which supply blood to the lower limbs. If untreated, the condition can lead to tissue and limb loss.

A new technique to treat these blockages involves using a tiny crown coated with diamond chips that rapidly spins at high speeds and sands away plaque inside arteries — while preserving the healthy tissue of the arterial wall. Orbital rotational force causes the tip of the device to expand inside the artery as it slowly sands away plaque and opens the artery to restore proper blood flow.

“These treatments are among our best tools to treat peripheral vascular disease and restore blood flow to the legs and feet,” said Dr. Kenneth Saland, an interventional cardiologist at Presbyterian who will perform cases during the conference. “Advanced treatments like these are keys to effective limb salvage.”

The Research and Education Institute for Texas Health Resources (TREI) provided technical support and assistance in the preparation and production for this event to happen through the Presbyterian Institute for Minimally Invasive Technology (PIMIT).

Texas Health Resources

CONTACT: Stephen O’Brien, Public Relations manager, Texas HealthResources, +1-214-345-4960, +1-214-759-2584 (Pager),[email protected]

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