A 60-year-old man from Cramlington, Northumberland has become the first person in Europe to be successfully treated with an innovative ‘dissolvable stent’, in a pioneering approach to treating a painful condition known as peripheral artery disease.
Around 1 in 5 adults over 60 in the UK are affected by the disease, which has no permanent cure. The condition occurs when arteries become clogged with plaque, preventing blood flow and oxygen from reaching the lower legs and feet.
These blocked vessels below the knee often lead to severe pain, wounds that won’t heal and, in some cases, limb amputation. On a day-to-day basis, the disease significantly impairs a person’s ability to walk, affecting mobility and quality of life.
Treatment can be provided through a procedure known as an angioplasty, where small balloons are inserted to stretch open vessels allowing more blood to flow through.
In a UK first, Newcastle doctors have used this procedure to insert an innovative dissolvable stent, which provides ‘scaffolding’ to hold open the expanded artery while at the same time delivering drugs to support healing. Once its job is done, the stent dissolves over time leaving nothing in the body.
This procedure offers the chance of a far better outcome for people with the most severe form of peripheral artery disease.
James McCaslin, the consultant vascular surgeon who carried out the procedure at the Freeman Hospital, said:
“This stent, which is made from the same material as dissolvable stitches, provides a fantastic option to treat artery disease below the knee – a condition which often threatens the life of the lower leg.
“It is inserted through a small hole in the groin – commonly known as keyhole surgery – and is designed in a way to prevent re-blockage of the artery, hopefully reducing the need for additional procedures and the risk of long-term complications such as amputation.
“A dissolvable stent has additional benefits over a normal stent because it means nothing is left behind to get in the way of any further procedures if needed.”
Stephen Laurie, the first UK patient to be successfully treated with the device said:
“I’ve had problems over a number of years and some previous treatment to try and improve my health, including a heart bypass.
“This time, my consultant suggested using this new stent, to tackle some of the ongoing problems in my lower leg.
“The procedure was really quick and I was back on my feet within hours, out and about.
“I’ve now got no pain in my leg and am hoping to go back to work a week after the treatment.”
The dissolving stent has been developed by global healthcare company, Abbott.
