All intown neighborhoods can follow along for the latest news on Twitter: @atlnewsnow Piedmont researching heart disease treatment

New research conducted at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed patients with an advanced form of coronary artery disease benefited from a newly approved treatment that used sonic pressure waves to break up hardened blockages in the heart, according to a press release.

The therapy is similar to the therapy used to break up kidney stones, and is known as Intravascular Lithotripsy (or IVL). It was approved in February by the FDA under a “Breakthrough” designation.

As people with CAD grow older and their disease progresses, plaque in the arterial wall evolves into calcium deposits, which narrow the artery. These bone-like structures make the artery rigid and more difficult to treat with current treatments, which can sometimes result in complications for patients. IVL is an innovative technology that generates sonic pressure waves — or shockwaves — on a conventional balloon catheter to fracture the problematic calcium so that the artery can be expanded, and blood flow restored with a stent.

“We were thrilled to be among the first centers in the United States to offer our study patients in Georgia and throughout the Southeast access to this potential therapy as part of this important study,” said Andrew J. Klein, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Piedmont Heart Institute. “From the new research just published we now know that sonic pressure waves can modify the calcium in a predictable and safe manner and potentially help patients avoid unnecessary complications of previous treatments.”

Information: piedmont.org PAMELA MILLER FOR THE AJC