Sacred Heart Hospital is the first hospital in the nation to implant the newly FDA-approved Powerlink XL minimally invasive stent graft to treat larger abdominal aortic aneurysms.
The new device is able to effectively treat abdominal aortic aneurysms in patients whose aneurysm size made it too risky previously to consider minimally invasive treatment.
"The procedure with Powerlink XL was very successful, and we are pleased to have this new technology available to treat our patients with large-diameter aortic necks," said (name of physician) Dr. Stuart Harlin, a vascular surgeon at Sacred Heart Hospital who first performed the procedure. "The system enables us to effectively treat AAA patients with challenging anatomy and lower the risk of complication."
Through a small incision in the groin, Dr. Harlin inserts the one-piece graft through a catheter into the aorta, a major vessel leading from the heart. The stent graft is placed into position within the blood vessel so that the main body of the stent is positioned in the aneurysm. The stent is then expanded within the aorta to reinforce its walls and to allow blood to flow through to the legs.
Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida since its FDA clearance. Dr. Harlin was assisted by vascular surgeon Dr. Christopher LeCroy and interventional radiologist Dr. Christopher Bosarge in this innovative procedure.
An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of a weakened blood vessel. It can develop slowly over years as a blood vessel weakens, or it can happen suddenly as the result of an injury. If an aneurysm bursts, it can lead to excessive bleeding and even death. Aneurysms can happen anywhere in the body, but occur most frequently in the aorta.
Aortic aneurysms occur in the aorta, which is the large artery that leads away from our heart. The most common aortic aneurysm is an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which occurs in the lower part of the aorta, below the diaphragm. More than 1.7 million Americans have AAA, and ruptured AAAs are the 13th leading cause of death in the United States.
Sacred Heart Health System has established itself as Northwest Florida's most preferred hospital and its leader in providing high quality health care to children and adults. Key services of the 449-bed hospital in Pensacola include: our Regional Heart and Vascular Institute, Children's and Women's Hospital, a Level II Trauma Center, Cancer Center, a home health agency, a 120-bed nursing home and a network of primary care and specialty doctors that stretches from Foley, Alabama to Panama City Beach, Florida. In 2003, the Health System also added Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, a 58-bed community hospital in Walton County, east of Destin.
For more information, call 850-416-7000 or visit www.sacred-heart.org.
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