West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the legs or lower extremities is the narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs. It is primarily caused by the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries.
Traditionally, if patients had large blockages in the femoral artery in their leg, surgeons may have to make a large incision (groin to knee) to bypass the blockage.
Now vascular surgeons at Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) are using a newly approved percutaneous treatment that allows surgeons to use a stent or graft to detour around the blockage and restore blood flow. This requires only a small incision in the leg with surgeons inserting a stent through the blood vessels to bypass the blockage.
The DETOUR System is designed specifically for patients with severe PAD in the superficial femoral artery. These patients include those who have long obstructions, previously failed endovascular procedures and those who may not be good candidates for surgical bypass.
“I think it’s a pretty big step,” said Shadi Abu-Halimah, MD, vascular surgeon. “We are proud to bring this innovative technology to our community and look forward to giving patients another treatment option.”
This new, minimally invasive procedure reduces surgery time, shortens a patient’s hospital stay and shortens recovery time.
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About Charleston Area Medical Center Health System: Established in 1972, CAMC is a nonprofit, 1,138-bed, regional referral center made up of seven hospitals CAMC General Hospital, CAMC Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, CAMC Memorial Hospital, CAMC Plateau Medical Center, CAMC Charleston Surgical Hospital, CAMC Teays Valley Hospital and CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, CAMC Cancer Center (with three locations: Beckley, Charleston and Hurricane), the CAMC Institute for Academic Medicine and the CAMC Foundation. More than 1,500 providers are members of the medical staff of CAMC, which is also West Virginia’s premiere medical teaching facility, hosting, on any given day, more than 1,000 students in programs leading to degrees or certifications in health professions. For more information, visit camc.org.
About Vandalia Health
Vandalia Health, headquartered in Charleston, is a multi-state health system with locations across West Virginia as well as in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Made up of CAMC Health System, Davis Health System and Mon Health System, Vandalia Health has 17 hospitals, over 190 ambulatory locations, more than 13,000 employees and more than 2,000 doctors and advanced practice providers. For more information or a map of locations visit vandaliahealth.org.