A Franklin man and heart patient at Williamson Medical Center is among the first in the state to receive the newly approved Synergy™ Everolimus-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent from Boston Scientific.
A stent is a tiny mesh tube that physicians use to prop open clogged arteries allowing blood to flow freely to the heart and is crucial in the survival of a cardiac event. This next generation stent technology aims to help cardiac patients reduce the amount of time they have to remain on blood thinning medication.
Thomas Richardson, M.D., cardiologist with Vanderbilt Heart at Williamson Medical Center, was the first physician to insert the new stent.
“The surface of the Synergy stent that faces the arterial walls is coated with a drug called Everolimus, which is embedded in a bioabsorbable polymer. Everolimus helps reduce the chance of the artery becoming blocked again,” Richardson said. “The positioning of the drugs on the stent helps speed up the healing process. In the past, the polymers used in stents created concerns about long-term exposure and the potential for inflammation, which delays healing.”
Richardson added that delayed healing has been linked with complications, including blood clots. This is what led to the creation of the Synergy stent, which includes a polymer that dissolves in the body. Within three months, the polymer and the drug on the stent should no longer be detectable in the patient’s body.
Richard Westgate, R.N., director of the Emergency Department, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Radiology Nursing at WMC, said it is exciting to be able to bring the most advanced, cutting-edge cardiac technology to Middle Tennessee.
“The ability to provide the Synergy Stent, the first and only bio-absorbable polymer drug-eluting stent in the U.S., reinforces our commitment to deliver advanced, quality treatment and care to our patients,” he said. “Williamson Medical Center patients who are eligible to receive this stent will have a reduction in potential long-term vessel re-narrowing.”
Manufactured by Boston Scientific, the Synergy Stent, with its bio-absorbable polymer, offers simultaneous drug and polymer absorption. Designed for faster healing, the Synergy Stent offers what you need when you need it: medicine, which inhibits coronary blockages from recurring, and freedom from permanent polymer exposure, which has been associated with complications such as vessel re-narrowing and blood clots.
“We are pleased to be working closely with Dr. Richardson and Williamson Medical Center to ensure patients can access this innovative technology,” said Kevin Ballinger, President, Interventional Cardiology, Boston Scientific.
“In development for over 10 years, the Synergy Stent reflects our commitment to bringing meaningful change to interventional cardiologists with the most complete portfolio of clinical solutions to best treat their patients,” Ballinger said. “We are excited to bring this transformative technology to U.S. facilities that provide best-in-class patient care.”
The Syndergy Stent is being studied in more than 15,000 patients worldwide, and has documented outstanding safety and efficacy of the Bioabsorbable Polymer Everoliumus Eluting Platinum Chromium Stent.
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