Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 600,000 Americans die each year from it.
Here at Bon Secours, our ministry is passionate about providing good help to those in need. Part of our mission means doing our part to decrease the number of people who suffer from heart disease.
We are excited to announce that Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital is the first community-based hospital in Richmond, VA to offer a new, innovative treatment option for advanced heart disease. It is called intravascular lithotripsy, or IVL for short.
This treatment option, from Shockwave Medical, leverages the principles for urologic lithotripsy that have been used for decades to safely break up kidney stones by utilizing sonic pressure waves to address challenging coronary artery calcium (CAC). The Shockwave IVL System with the Shockwave C2 Coronary IVL Catheter is a first-of-its-kind technology designed to prepare severely calcified coronary lesions for stenting by cracking calcium in a safe and predictable manner.
“At Bon Secours Heart Institute, we strive to provide state-of-the-art treatment for coronary artery disease,” Manu Kaushik, MD, an interventional cardiologist at St. Mary’s Hospital, shares. “Shockwave intravascular lithotripsy is a prime example of breakthrough technologies that allows us to treat complex blockages in coronary arteries in a safe and predictable manner. The addition of Shockwave angioplasty to existing spectrum of contemporary technologies allows us to customize care for our patients based on the complexity of their coronary artery disease to achieve the best possible results.”
The FDA recognized the uniqueness of coronary IVL when it designated the treatment option as a “breakthrough device.” The ability of this device to be safe, intuitive and effective is what makes coronary IVL unique from other calcium tools. Facilities that use this device improve safety and outcomes for patients while allowing doctors to provide state-of-the-art care.
Additionally, Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center is adopting intravascular lithotripsy as a standalone technology to aid in removing harmful calcium deposits which build up in the vessels which supply the heart. This latest acquisition, when coupled with the hospital’s state-of-the-art lab, allows patients in Chesterfield County and surrounding areas to receive lifesaving, world-class treatments on an outpatient basis.
The Shockwave IVL System with the Shockwave C2 Coronary IVL Catheter is also available at Bon Secours Memorial Regional Center in Hanover County.
Learn more about the cardiology services we offer at Bon Secours.
