Intracoronary
Brachytherapy for
Coronary Artery Disease
Vascular disease continues to be the number
one cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Each year, more
than 1 million revascularization procedures are performed in the United
States for vascular stenosis. Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary
Angioplasty, PTCA, the most common treatment for coronary artery stenosis
has the disadvantage of restenosis.
Endovascular brachytherapy is an extension of
the use of radiotherapy for benign disease. In intracoronary brachytherapy,
radioactive isotopes are placed within the coronary artery and deposit a
localized dose of radiotherapy to the vessel wall.
Recent randomized studies have shown that
intracoronary brachytherapy can reduce the risk of in-stent restenosis by
60-70%. This cutting edge FDA approved therapy is available to patients
through the multidisciplinary team efforts of Medical X-Ray Center, The
Heart Hospital of South Dakota, and Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls,
South Dakota.
