Danbury Senior Makes History

As State’s First New Stent Recipient

DANBURY — The Praxair Regional Heart & Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital continues to break new ground, becoming the first hospital in Connecticut to offer patients the newest generation of drug-eluting stents to treat coronary artery disease.

John Deep, 83, of Danbury did not realize he would be making history when the cardiac team at Danbury Hospital implanted the latest federally approved drug-eluting stent during an angioplasty procedure to restore blood flow to two blocked arteries.

 “I feel great,” said Mr Deep, after a two-mile walk around the high school track just one week after the procedure. Well known in the community for operating the Deep’s IGA on North Street for 50 years, Mr Deep speaks with the authority of a man who has undergone many cardiac procedures throughout the years.

“It was no big deal,” he said nonchalantly. “I went into the hospital one day and was out the next. They found a few blockages and opened them up. Now I’m back on the road. It’s like getting a tooth pulled.”

The new stent, known as the Xience V everolimus eluting coronary stent, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration just one day before Mr Deep’s operation. Two clinical trials showed the design of the Xience V made it easier to implant the stent and the medicine was more effective in reducing restenosis, or the renarrowing of an artery after angioplasty.

“The main advantage of the new stent is deliverability,” said Robert Timmermans, MD, of Cardiac Specialists, PC, the interventional cardiologist who performed Mr Deep’s angioplasty. “The thin, flexible design makes it easier to deliver the stent to the narrowed or blocked artery and that’s always good for the patient.”

The quick availability of the new stent at Danbury Hospital underscores the organization’s commitment to keep abreast of the latest technological advancements and treatments in cardiac care, noted Dr Timmermans. Ranked among the nation’s top five percent for overall cardiac services, Danbury Hospital offers a higher level of cardiac care, including a comprehensive range of prevention, diagnostic, and advanced treatments.

“Danbury Hospital is a quality institution that is willing to heavily invest in cardiac care. We are always the first or among the first hospital to offer patients the newest technologies,” said Dr Timmermans. “This is great for patient care. Patients don’t need to travel to New York or elsewhere in Connecticut because they can get the advanced cardiac care they need right here at Danbury Hospital. We have an excellent team.”

As the nation’s leading cause of death among women and men, coronary artery disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked by cholesterol or other fatty deposits known as plaque. During an angioplasty, an interventional cardiologist uses a catheter to insert and inflate a balloon to open a clogged artery.

In some cases, cardiologists implant a stent at the site of the blockage to keep the artery open. A bare metal stent only serves as scaffolding, while a drug-eluting stent also releases medication over time to help prevent restenosis.

Mr Deep’s cardiologist, Lawrence Fisher, MD, of Cardiac Specialists, PC, recommended he undergo an angiogram because he was experiencing angina (chest pain) within minutes of walking or exertion.

“We tried to maximize his medical regimen, but the symptoms persisted after several months of aggressive treatment,” he said. Dr Fisher performed the angiogram, a procedure that creates images of the arteries using a dye that is injected into the blood vessels, allowing physicians to check for narrowing or blockages.

In Mr Deep’s case, the cardiac team found two blockages that would benefit from angioplasty and drug-eluting stents, said Dr Timmermans. The decision to use a stent is done on a case-by-case basis, depending on the needs of the patient.

“Drug-eluting stents are beneficial because they discourage the formation of scar tissue,” he said. “But patients with drug-eluting stents must maintain a lifelong regimen of aspirin and the medication Plavix because of the slightly higher risk of clotting.”

Mr Deep was a candidate for the new drug-eluting stent because the blockage was at an area prone to restenosis, he said.

Another innovation available at Danbury Hospital, known as intravascular ultrasound or IVUS, allowed Dr Timmermans to insert a probe through the catheter to the site of the stent to produce an ultrasound image from inside the body. “This enabled us to see whether the stent was optimally deployed,” he said.

These days, Mr Deep is back on the golf course and walking two or more miles a day. “He’s a new man without a hint of chest pain,” said Dr Fisher. “He looks fantastic.” Mr Deep urges others to seek medical attention at Danbury Hospital if they suspect a cardiac problem since so many treatment options are readily available. “Any person who doesn’t see a doctor should have their head examined!” he said.

For more information, visit www.danburyhospital.org.