Cardiologists at UAB St. Vincent’s, part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System, have become the first in the Greater Birmingham area to use sound wave technology to treat severely calcified peripheral artery disease, according to a Sept. 5 system news release.
Interventional cardiologist Christopher DeGroat, MD, performed the hospital’s first intravascular lithotripsy case, which uses gentle sound waves to fracture hardened plaque and calcium in leg arteries. The approach aims to improve outcomes for patients with advanced PAD by restoring blood flow, reducing amputations and lowering complication risks.
“This first-of-its-kind technology will better allow us to treat difficult blockages and improve quality of life for patients living with PAD,” Dr. DeGroat said in the release.
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