 St.
Lukes Heart Care
Cryoplasty
On February 12, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center aired actual
footage of a brand new procedure called cryoplasty, a treatment that is showing
much promise for the clearing of blocked arteries. St. Luke's is currently the
only hospital in Wisconsin to perform this FDA-approved procedure.
More about cryoplasty
Recently approved by the FDA, cryoplasty is a new form
of angioplasty used to clear blockages of the peripheral arteries. Cryoplasty is
reported to be less traumatic to the blood vessels and appears to have a lower
incidence of restenosis or renarrowing than a traditional angioplasty
procedure.
Crypolasty is actually very similar to angioplasty. A
catheter is threaded into the area of the artery that is clogged. However,
instead of inflating the saline solution used in the angioplasty, the balloon is
inflated with liquid nitrous oxide. The balloon surface temperature rapidly
decreases to -2 to -10o C, freezing the plaque and causing a process called
apoptosis - which is a type of cell death - to occur. This process is reported
to be gentler on the artery wall than angioplasty, preventing much of the
inflammation and scarring that can contribute to restenosis to renarrowing of
the vessel.
The recovery time for cryoplasty is usually the same as
an angioplasty. This new therapy is showing much promise for the treatment of
blocked arteries. While this procedure is currently approved by the FDA for
peripheral arteries, research continues in the utilization of this procedure in
other vessels.
To find a St. Luke's Heart Care physician,
click here or call 1-888-973-2663.
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