Metro Health First Hospital in Country to Use New FDA-Approved Surgical Device

WYOMING, MI, March 20, 2011 (Press-News.org) Metro Health Hospital became the first hospital in the country to use a new surgical device to treat peripheral arterial disease this week after it was approved for use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

Metro Health's interventional cardiology team received the honor from device maker Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. because the hospital is in the national forefront of limb salvage efforts. Metro Health cardiologist Dr. Jihad Mustapha and his team performed the first procedure successfully yesterday using the new Stealth 360° Orbital PAD System, a minimally invasive catheter device used in arteries to remove plaque and restore blood flow to unhealthy and at-risk tissue.

The procedure helped restore circulation to the leg of a man in danger of losing his limb to amputation. The procedure took approximately three hours.

Mustapha, who joined Metro Health in 2009, is an internationally recognized expert in limb salvage. He has worked extensively with CSI to test the new device, which is currently in limited market release. The new Stealth 360 provides physicians better control while removing blood-stopping plaque from the inside of the blood vessel while protecting health tissue.

More than 17 million people suffer from PAD in the United States, which is caused by the accumulation of plaque in peripheral arteries -- commonly the pelvis or leg -- reducing blood flow. Symptoms include leg pain when walking or at rest, and tissue loss that can lead to limb amputation. Many patients with PAD are affected by diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or renal insufficiency.

"The new Stealth 360° is as fast and easy to set up as a balloon or stent, but safer and more durable," Mustapha explained. "As a physician, my goal is to end the use of amputation to treat PAD. This device provides effective treatment for the entire leg, including small calcified vessels below the knee that are critical to achieving blood flow to the foot."

The Stealth 360° incorporates the Diamondback Predator 360° orbital mechanism of action, optimal shaft and crown configurations. The shaft is flexible and suited for compromised run-off, vessel bends or tortuous anatomy.

"With the Stealth 360°, physicians have a clinically proven, easy-to-use, front-line treatment for routine and complex cases," said David L. Martin, CSI president and chief executive officer. "Continued innovation, with our growing wealth of clinical data, will drive broad adoption and help physicians achieve a new and fantastic standard of care for the PAD patient."

About Metro Health
Metro Health is a regional health-care organization with a 208-bed general acute care osteopathic teaching hospital and 12 neighborhood outpatient centers, serving more than 130,000 patients in Kent and surrounding counties. Metro, which earned status as a Top 100 Hospital for three consecutive years, offers a broad range of services, including hospital inpatient and outpatient services, emergency, surgery, intensive care and rehabilitation. Physician, therapy and diagnostic services are offered in its 12 neighborhood centers. Metro's work is supported by the Metro Health Hospital Foundation, which is a charitable organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of the West Michigan community through philanthropy. For more information, visit http://www.metrohealth.net.