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UNC Health Appalachian Watauga Medical Center has announced an innovative treatment option for patients with severely calcified coronary artery disease living in the High Country. The new technology is an enhanced application of lithotripsy, an approach that uses sonic pressure waves to safely break up kidney stones. It is widely used to treat problematic calcium in the coronary arteries that can reduce blood flow in the heart.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Each year, almost 700,000 people in the United States die of heart disease. For people suffering from heart disease, specifically those with coronary artery disease, as they grow older and as their disease progresses, plaque in the arteries evolves into calcium deposits, which can narrow the artery. Of the approximately one million patients who undergo a stent procedure to open an artery each year, 30 percent have problematic calcium that increases their risk for adverse events. 

Calcium makes the artery rigid and more difficult to reopen with conventional treatments. The new shockwave technology, known as intravascular lithotripsy or IVL, allows physicians to fracture the problematic calcium – using sonic pressure waves – so that the artery can be safely expanded, and blood flow is restored through the placement of a stent with minimal complications. The new version of the catheter allows for more complex calcium to be treated with more shockwaves per catheter included – up to 120 in each catheter, which will allow physicians to treat longer segments of calcified plaque.

“The cardiology team at Watauga Medical Center is committed to giving our patients access to the latest cardiovascular innovations to treat heart disease,” said Nathan Nipper, Chief Operating Officer, UNC Health Appalachian. “Empowered by this novel shockwave IVL technology, we are excited to be treating some of the most complex forms of heart disease in our most challenging patient cases, all while remaining committed to improving patient outcomes for the benefit of the entire High Country community,” said Dr. Donna Denier, Medical Director, Cardiovascular Services, UNC Health Appalachian.

Watauga Medical Center, a member of UNC Health Appalachian, is licensed as a 117-bed regional referral medical complex, offering both primary and secondary acute and specialty care. Services include laboratory, imaging, radiology, physical and occupational rehabilitation therapy, respiratory therapy, surgical services, cancer treatment, heart and vascular services, sleep services, pain management, and emergency services. The medical center is certified by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center.

 

Photo Named NW0324 Watauga Medical Center

 

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The Watauga Medical Center located at Boone, N.C., has announced an innovative treatment option for patients with severely calcified coronary artery disease living in the High Country. The new technology is an enhanced application of lithotripsy, an approach that uses sonic pressure waves to safely break up kidney stones. It is widely used to treat problematic calcium in the coronary arteries that can reduce blood flow in the heart.