Palmetto State News

Dr. Alan Blaker

McLeod Interventional Cardiologist

McLeod Cardiology Associates

The coronary arteries are the vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the heart. Plaque, which is a collection of calcium, cholesterol, and fat, can build up in these vessels restricting blood flow to the heart causing a heart attack or stroke.

With blocked coronary arteries the standard method of treatment is to open the artery with a small balloon over a tiny wire placed across the blockage. Frequently then a stent, a small metal mesh tube, is deployed in the blocked artery that helps keep the artery open.

In some patients, the soft plaque in the arteries undergo changes with heavy deposits of calcium becoming a hard plaque that doesn’t respond well to balloon dilation.

For patients with severely calcified arteries this calcium can present complications. The severity of the calcium build-up can limit the physician’s access to the artery with the balloon, as well as prevent placement of the stent to the desired location. Of the approximately one million patients that undergo a stent procedure each year, 30 percent have problematic calcium that increase their risk for adverse events, according to the American College of Cardiology.

At McLeod, we have a new technology available, Intravascular Lithotripsy, that allows Interventional Cardiologists to restore blood flow to the heart by safely penetrating the problematic calcium using sonic pressure waves. Once opened the artery can then be expanded, and blood flow restored with the placement of a stent.

This new technology is an adaptation of the lithotripsy used for decades to safely break up kidney stones. During the procedure, sonic pressure waves, also known as shockwaves, fracture the calcium with minimal trauma to normal arterial tissue.

Calcium deposits in the arteries are not related to diet or any supplements taken. They occur because the cells in the blood vessels are not working as they should. This can be a sign of heart disease or simply getting older.

While coronary calcification can happen at any age, the prevalence occurs in 90 percent of men and 67 percent of women older than 70. Those with high body mass index, high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or a family history of coronary calcification are more susceptible.

The best way to prevent or slow the progression of calcium build-up in the coronary arteries comes from living a healthy lifestyle. This includes:

• Eating a heart healthy diet – especially limiting cholesterol, fat, and sodium
• Exercising regularly
• Quitting smoking
• Losing weight
• Controlling blood pressure, sugar, and lipid levels

Calcium buildup in the coronary arteries is not reversible but with this new innovative therapy for the treatment of advanced heart disease, McLeod Interventional Cardiologists are able to safely modify the calcified plaque returning more patients back to a quality of life they once knew.

Dr. Alan Blaker is an Interventional Cardiologist with McLeod Cardiology Associates and is accepting new patients. Self-referrals are welcome. Appointments with Dr. Blaker can be made by calling (843) 667-1891.

_{Source: https://www.mcleodhealth.org/news-entry/new-treatment-for-advanced-heart-disease-available-at-mcleod/?type=news&page-type=news&search-term=}