Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven has a European first. Vascular surgeons have placed a flexible stent in an abdominal artery for the first time, in order to strengthen the blood vessels.
The procedure prevents the artery from rupturing. The new technique was used in two patients, who were struggling with a dilated abdominal artery. The new stent, a kind of tube, is replaceable. After insertion, the stent can be folded to a few millimeters in order to be expanded again.
“We can very precisely position the stent”, vascular surgeon, Marc van Sambeek, says. He expects the stent to reduce the number of repeated operations. “Now, 10 to 15 percent of the patients should be operated on again within a few years”.
Van Sambeek sees many benefits. “The stent is collapsible, but can also be bent and rotated while posting in the artery. If the artery is crooked, we can also place the stent at a sharp angle. This is impossible with the current stents”.
Placing a stent is often done even under local anesthesia. Through a small incision in the groin, the stent is moved through the artery to the right place. It is expected that the stent will also be available at other hospitals in a few months.
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translated by: Bob
Edited by: Melinda
