Treatment for Peripheral Vascular Disease

A new treatment for patients with blocked blood vessels in their legs employs a device that removes plaque altogether, unlike methods that merely stretch the artery and push plaque up against artery walls. The device has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Called the SilverHawk Plaque Excision System, the device uses a tiny rotating blade to shave plaque from artery walls. The device acts somewhat like a lawnmower, first cutting the plaque and then, like a trash compactor, compressing the plaque into the nose cone of the device, which is then removed. The SilverHawk system was developed by Fox Hollow Technologies, Inc. (Redwood City, CA, USA).

Blockages in the legs are a challenge for doctors because plaque tends to build up along the entire length of the artery. This makes it difficult to use stents or angioplasty because they generally target a small section of the artery. Even when stents or angioplasty is used, the arteries tend to re-narrow over time. The most common symptom of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is leg pain. The earlier PVD is detected, the easier the treatment.

"This is a serious, often overlooked disease,” said Dr. Daniel Dulas, a cardiologist with Mercy & Unity Hospitals in Coon Rapids (MN, USA). "Some patients with peripheral vascular disease can't walk more than a few steps because of the pain in their legs. Even worse, some face life-changing alternatives such as amputation.”




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