Northwest Louisiana’s first Synergy™ XD 48mm stent has been implanted by Jonathan M. Davis, MD, interventional cardiologist with Pierremont Cardiology. The procedure was performed at Willis-Knighton Heart & Vascular Institute’s cath lab at WK Pierremont Health Center.

The Synergy XD drug-eluting stent, by Boston Scientific, while not new technology, is what Dr. Davis refers to as “an example of Willis-Knighton investing in technology that helps us best manage our patients with coronary artery disease.”

With its length, the single 48mm metal stent can be used in place of multiple stents in patients with long lesions or areas of severe stenosis in their coronary arteries. The Synergy XD, which is placed in the artery using a balloon catheter, is the first and only FDA-approved drug eluting stent available in the United States. It is coated with a drug (everolimus) and bioabsorbable polymer and has been designed to provide synchronized drug elution into the artery walls and polymer absorption. Both the amount of drug and the drug release rate have been selected so that healing can occur while helping reduce the chance of the artery becoming blocked again.

“I was excited to offer this patient a single stent to cover his long area of blockage rather than having overlapping stents, which may increase his risk for recurrent blockage of the artery,” Dr. Davis says. “My hope is he will be able to return to marathon running.”

It is estimated that more than 18 million Americans age 20 and older have coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease in the United States. It is caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart and other parts of the body.

Treatment for coronary artery disease usually involves lifestyle changes and, if necessary, medication. More aggressive treatments include medical procedures that include stents and surgery.