In what could drastically reduce operation time and hospital stays, British scientists have developed a new high-powered laser which they say unblocks clogged arteries in just minutes.
The procedure involved fitting a special catheter or tube to a new laser called the Excimer that blasts tissues into particles so small they can only be seen under a microscope. Trials at University College Hospital in London have proved the procedure a major success as it not only reduced operating times but also dramatically sped up patients’ rec-overy time.
The first two patients were treated at the hospital in July and discharged the next day, instead of spending weeks in hospital, the Daily Mail reported.
Around 85,000 people a year have treatment to widen their arteries which have been narrowed by cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.
But the common procedure to unblock artery can trigger an exaggerated healing response where unwanted tissue builds up on the artery wall, leading to excess scarring and renarrowing of the artery.
The small tube, or stent, used to widen the artery can also becomes blocked. At least one in three patients who undergo treatment end up with a new blockage and this puts them further at risk of future health problems.
—PTI