Essentia Health continues to prove itself as an industry leader in providing health care in the Upper Midwest. In March, interventional cardiologist Nicole Worden became the first physician in Minnesota to perform a heart procedure that will provide more options in the treatment of severely calcified coronary artery blockages.
Dr. Worden performed the procedure, called Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL), March 12 on 84-year-old patient Carolyne “Dolly” Strumbel.
“I was happy to be able to provide Dolly with the procedure that I thought was the best and safest course of action for her,” said Dr. Worden. “I’m glad we had enough trust in each other to accomplish this and make her feel better.”
IVL is less invasive than similar alternatives. IVL allows physicians to use sonic pressure waves to modify calcium safely and effectively. Once that calcium is modified, the artery can be expanded to allow for the insertion and placement of a stent. Plaque buildup in arteries restricts blood flow and can lead to a heart attack, heart failure or angina.
“It’s a gamechanger. The results can be really amazing, and it will change how we treat calcified lesions,” said Dr. Worden.
IVL is similar in practice to how physicians break up kidney stones. Dr. Worden said it’s safer than other standard-practice procedures and lower risk than open-heart surgery. Recovery time is similar to other options for removing buildup in arteries. But, Dr. Worden said, the physiologic impact is less, so patients may feel better sooner than if they underwent a more invasive procedure.
Strumbel was admitted to Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center on March 8 after experiencing heart attack symptoms, including shortness of breath, weakness and atrial fibrillation. Dr. Worden and her team determined Strumbel had a heart attack and, a day later, an angiogram was conducted. Dr. Worden discovered Strumbel had a blockage in part of her coronary arteries called the “left main” artery — in the case of a blockage there, patients typically have heart-bypass surgery. However, due to Strumbel’s age and other medical conditions, Dr. Worden concluded a stent would be the safest option.
Because Strumbel’s artery had severe calcium, Dr. Worden chose to do IVL rather than a typical atherectomy procedure; she believed lithotripsy would be safer for Strumbel. On March 12, IVL was performed with no complications, and on March 17 Strumbel was discharged from the hospital.
“Dr. Worden was great,” Strumbel said. “It was such an easy procedure. I didn’t even know anything happened and, heart-wise, I was feeling fine in no time.”
Shockwave Medical is the first company to offer IVL in the treatment of these troublesome arteries. The technology was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of coronary disease in February.
While Essentia was the first health system in Minnesota to carry out the procedure, it has since been performed by other systems around the state and country.
