Lankenau Hospital Physician is First in the Philadelphia Region to Use a New Device for Treating Peripheral Artery Disease

(WYNNEWOOD, PA; October 2007) -- Lankenau Hospital interventional cardiologist Sean Janzer, MD , is the first physician in the Philadelphia region to use a newly FDA approved device for treating Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). According to Dr. Janzer, the new technique offers new hope and improves the quality of life for many people who suffer from a build up of plaque in the lower legs and the pain it causes.

"This new device allows us to successfully reach and remove even the most difficult plaque, especially calcium, that is deposited in the smaller arteries below the knee that previously could not be treated," explained Dr. Sean Janzer, who specializes in peripheral vascular diseases at Lankenau Hospital.

The Diamondback 360º™ Orbital Atherectomy System, enables a physician to "sand away" plaque, a fatty material that builds up on the inside walls of blood vessels. The treatment is minimally invasive and patients go home the same day or spend one night in the hospital.

Dr. Janzer performs the procedure in the hospital's cardiac catherization laboratory using the Diamondback, a small diamond-coated crown that is designed to remove the toughest kind of plaque without damaging the arteries. The device is inserted into the patient's leg artery through a tiny puncture made in the groin. A small catheter and ultra-thin guide wire are used to direct the diamond crown to the location of the plaque in the artery. The device received full FDA approval on August 30, 2007.

PAD is a life-threatening condition in which plaque build-up causes arteries to harden and
narrow, reducing blood flow to the legs. If this "heart attack of the legs" is allowed to progress, PAD can lead to Critical Limb Ischemia, which may result in amputation. People with PAD may also have hardened and narrowed arteries to the heart and brain, which puts them at increased risk for a heart attack and stroke.

Media Contact:
Frieda Schmidt
610-526-8298

Published:11-2-2007