Detroit Medical Center first in Midwest to use new technology for treating coronary artery disease

The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) is the first in the Midwest to use a new, state-of-the-art system for treating Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Drs. Theodore Schreiber, Mahir Elder, Amir Kaki and Antonious Attallah used the new, advanced crown at DMC Harper University Hospital on Thursday, February 13 to remove plaque build-up on the walls of a patient's coronary arteries, the most common cause of life-threatening heart disease, and death in men and women in the United States.

Dr. Attallah was the first operator with the team to use this device after FDA approval in the entire Midwest region.

"We have not had much advancement in the field of coronary atherectomy since we only had a single device that we worked with, a rotablator. Now, with the CSI coronary atherectomy, we are bringing in novel technology and new creative ways of treating severely calcified arteries," said Dr. Attallah. "The ease of use, as well as the versatility of the device to shave off calcium both forward and backwards makes it very attractive. Overall, the device is a huge step forward towards treating such tough lesions and so far, we are encouraged by the results we have seen."

The Diamondback 360® Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS) is an eccentrically mounted 1.25-millimeter diamond-coated crown that sands away calcium in severely calcified coronary arteries, enabling stent deployment. As the crown rotates and orbit increases, centrifugal force presses the crown against the lesion, reducing arterial calcium, while healthy tissue flexes away.

"The DMC Cardiovascular Institute strives to be at the leading edge of innovative cardiac care, and was selected to use this new technology based on studies of its safety and effectiveness in treating severely calcified coronary lesions. Better tools for these difficult-to-treat blockages could mean major differences in outcomes for our patients," said Dr. Schreiber, president of the DMC Cardiovascular Institute and new DMC Heart Hospital opening in August.

The Diamondback 360® Coronary OAS uses a patented combination of differential sanding and centrifugal force to reduce arterial calcium that can cause complications when treating Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), a life-threatening condition. Arterial calcium is a common occurrence and can lead to significant complications, with moderate to severe arterial calcium present in nearly 40 percent of patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention in the U.S.