Physicians at Sacred Heart Hospital are the first in the region to treat patients using a newly FDA cleared device that clears away and removes potentially deadly artery clogging plaque in leg arteries for those suffering from peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a chronic condition that affects nearly 12 million Americans.

The JetstreamT Pathway PVT Atherectomy System is the first on the market capable of treating an entire spectrum of disease found in the PAD patient, including hard and soft plaque, calcium, and other lesions with consistent clinical results. The system uses a catheter equipped with tiny rotating blades and a vacuum that cut through accumulated plaque in the legs and then vacuums away the debris left behind.

Removing the plaque that has been cut loose also minimizes the potential for that plaque to travel back through the leg's arteries and cause another blockage.

"The Jetstream G2 has exceeded our expectations treating PAD in the legs and feet," says Dr. Christopher LeCroy, a board-certified vascular surgeon with Coastal Vascular at Sacred Heart Hospital. "The procedures are completed quickly and efficiently, with a very low complication rate."

PAD occurs when plaque builds up on the inside walls of blood vessels, causing a blockage of blood flow to the extremities, and is often associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and aging. It usually affects adults from age 60 to 80, but patients can be younger. People with elevated cholesterol, smokers or those with a history of heart disease are at risk for developing PAD. The disease is responsible for more than 150,000 leg amputations each year.

For more information on PAD or a referral to a Sacred Heart vascular surgeon, please call (850) 416-1600 or visit www.sacred-heart.org.

###