by Alex A. Kecskes
Blocked arteries in the legs, often referred to by medical experts as Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), affect one in five men and one in eight women aged over 50. PAD results in hundreds of amputations a week, mostly in diabetics with poor blood circulation.
Surgeons are keeping an eye on one promising solution in breaking up arterial deposits: a miniature vibrating pneumatic drill known as the Crosser Catheter System.
One root cause of PAD is hard deposits in arteries, which usually develops first in the legs and feet. The arteries become less elastic, narrow, and hard due to calcium deposits on the wall of the artery. In some cases, the artery may completely close, preventing blood flow; or it may lose its ability to dilate to carry more blood, especially during exercise.
Until now, breaking up arterial deposits involved inserting a thin tube (a catheter), into the main artery in the thigh and feeding a wire through it to break up the blockage. In many cases, however, calcified or hardened deposits prevented the wire from penetrating the blockage. Patients then faced the alternative of surgery for a graft to bypasses the blockage. If that didn't work, the patient would face the grim prospect of amputation.
For an additional perspective, check out this video:
Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
Blocked arteries in the legs, often referred to by medical experts as Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), affect one in five men and one in eight women aged over 50. PAD results in hundreds of amputations a week, mostly in diabetics with poor blood circulation.
Surgeons are keeping an eye on one promising solution in breaking up arterial deposits: a miniature vibrating pneumatic drill known as the Crosser Catheter System.
The new system uses a wire to reach the blockage. Once there, the tip of the wire is activated to vibrate at 20,000 times per second. This essentially drills a hole through the center of the deposit, allowing surgeons to inflate a tiny balloon to displace the blockage.
One root cause of PAD is hard deposits in arteries, which usually develops first in the legs and feet. The arteries become less elastic, narrow, and hard due to calcium deposits on the wall of the artery. In some cases, the artery may completely close, preventing blood flow; or it may lose its ability to dilate to carry more blood, especially during exercise.
Until now, breaking up arterial deposits involved inserting a thin tube (a catheter), into the main artery in the thigh and feeding a wire through it to break up the blockage. In many cases, however, calcified or hardened deposits prevented the wire from penetrating the blockage. Patients then faced the alternative of surgery for a graft to bypasses the blockage. If that didn't work, the patient would face the grim prospect of amputation.
For an additional perspective, check out this video:
Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
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