DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Detroit Medical Center’s (DMC) interventional cardiology team at Heart Hospital recently became the first in Michigan to offer patients with coronary artery disease a new treatment option for vessels that are difficult to stent because of the size and intricacy.
Dr. Tamam Mohamad, Chief of Cardiology at DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, treated a 60-year-old woman, guiding the newly FDA approved EluNIR stent through a complex, circuitous course of blood vessels to reach and open a main artery that was 90% blocked. Last Thursday's three-hour procedure brought the blockage to 0%, and Friday, Haila Alamri went home.
The EluNIR drug-eluting stent has the narrowest strut width of any FDA-approved stent currently available in the U.S. This low profile stent, with radiopaque spring tip, makes it easier to maneuver in heavily calcified or intricately curved blood vessels.
“At the DMC, we strive to provide our patients with the newest treatment options to best serve their cardiac needs,” says Dr. Mohamad. “It’s the same kind of care I would provide for my own family.”
Dr. Mahir Elder, Director of Endovascular Medicine at the DMC Heart Hospital, adds: “The DMC Cardiovascular team's goal is to stay on the forefront of technology. As leading physicians in the field, we strive to bring the latest and greatest technology and innovation to the metro Detroit community.”
Alamri, the mother of nine children, and an armful of grandchildren, was experiencing angina, with pressure in her chest, after walking short distances. The symptoms caused her a lot of fear and anxiety and greatly affected her quality of life.
The Detroit Medical Center helps lead advances in heart care, as the nation struggles with heart disease as a major health threat.
Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in the US. According to the American Heart Association, each day about 2,200 Americans die from cardiovascular disease, about one person every 40 seconds.
During Heart Month, the DMC Cardiovascular team recommends you seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing any of the following common symptoms of a heart attack:
- Severe pressure, fullness, squeezing, pain, or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes
- Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulders, neck, arms, or jaw
- Chest pain that gets worse
- Chest pain that doesn't get better with rest or by taking nitroglycerin
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Chest pain that happens along with any of these symptoms:
- Sweating, cool, clammy skin, or paleness
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness or fainting
- Unexplained weakness or fatigue
- Rapid or irregular pulse
Although chest pain is the key warning sign of a heart attack, it may be confused with other conditions. These include indigestion, pleurisy, pneumonia, tenderness of the cartilage that attaches the front of the ribs to the breastbone, and heartburn. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
More information about heart disease, visit the DMC Health Library at www.dmc.org.
About the Detroit Medical Center, www.dmc.org
Detroit Medical Center includes DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, DMC Harper University Hospital, DMC Heart Hospital, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital, DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, and DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital. Detroit Medical Center is a leading regional healthcare system with a mission of excellence in clinical care, research and medical education.