St. David's South Austin Hospital Leading the Central Texas Region in
Laser-Assisted Lead-Extraction Procedures
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians at St. David's South Austin
Hospital are leading the Central Texas region in laser-assisted
lead-extractions. Lead-extraction is a complicated procedure to remove leads,
or transvenous pacemaker electrodes frequently used in patients with
pacemakers or other implanted Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) devices. Recent
studies have shown that using a laser can be a safe and effective way to
remove cardiac leads when performed by a skilled physician. Previously, lead
removal often required "open-heart" surgery.
"Over time, cardiac leads can sometimes fracture, become infected or become
less effective due to biological changes at the site where they are implanted
in the heart tissue, causing them to malfunction," said Shane Bailey, M.D., an
electrophysiologist with Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's
HealthCare. "This can create a very dangerous situation for the patient."
In many cases, damaged leads can be disconnected and left in the body, and are
then replaced with new leads that are positioned to provide better
functionality. Eventually, though, nonfunctioning leads must often be removed.
Doctors at St. David's South Austin Hospital are now using a laser device
called the Excimer® Laser Sheath, which consists of a catheter that follows
the lead and uses a laser to free it from the surrounding tissue, which often
grows around the lead. A ring of laser energy dissolves binding scar tissue
around the circumference of the lead allowing for safe, accurate and efficient
cardiac lead removal.
"In the past, leads that were not easily removed had to be extracted using a
series of long flexible sheaths," said Robert Canby, M.D., an
electrophysiologist with Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's
HealthCare. "These sheaths were advanced down the target lead, pushing and
tearing away the tissue with which the body had coated it. This was a
reasonably high-risk procedure that could only have been executed by
experienced physicians."
The Excimer® Laser Sheath allows physicians to cut away the tissue so that the
lead can be removed with minimal trauma. It is especially helpful in dealing
with patients who require cardiac lead extraction due to an infection. In such
cases, it is unlikely that antibiotics will cure the infection with the leads
in place, so they must be removed to provide the body the opportunity to heal.
"Leaving non-functioning leads in the patient's body is no longer an
acceptable form of treatment for many patients," Dr. Bailey said. "We now know
more about the potential problems and we know that lead removal procedures can
be very effective at the hands of an experienced physician."
In addition to using a laser to remove leads, doctors at St. David's South
Austin Hospital also remove leads manually or with other mechanical equipment,
which account for about half of the lead-removal procedures performed at St.
David's South Austin Hospital.
Implantable CRM devices are used to manage cardiac arrhythmia, or an irregular
or abnormal heart rate. They are designed to monitor and regulate the heart
beat or, in some cases, defibrillate (shock) the heart if it goes into a
potentially life-threatening rhythm. CRMs are usually implanted into a
patient's upper chest, just under the skin and soft tissue, and can be located
on either the left or right side of the chest.
The Excimer® Laser is manufactured by Spectranetics® Corporation.
St. David's South Austin Hospital
St. David's South Austin Hospital is owned by St. David's HealthCare, one of
the largest health systems in Texas. St. David's South Austin Hospital,
located at 901 West Ben White Blvd., is a member of St. David's HealthCare.
The facility, built in 1982, offers a comprehensive and nationally recognized
cardiac program, a fully renovated maternity unit with Level I and Level II
nurseries and a thriving 24-hour emergency department. St. David's South
Austin Hospital was recognized for three consecutive years by health
information company, Solucient: as one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals®, and
as one of the 100 Top Hospitals® for Cardiovascular Care. The hospital has
received numerous other quality awards for women's services and general
surgery, among other services. St. David's South Austin Hospital, with 252
patient beds, completed a $50-million expansion project in 2004 to enhance its
services and facilities. For more information, please visit
www.StDavids.com/sdsah.aspx.
Media Contacts:
Kristin Marcum and Erin Ochoa
Elizabeth Christian & Associates Public Relations
(512) 472-9599
SOURCE St. David's South Austin Hospital
Kristin Marcum, or Erin Ochoa, both of Elizabeth Christian & Associates Public
Relations, +1-512-472-9599, for St. David's South Austin Hospital
