Limb Saving Treatment Times Two Good Samaritan Hospital patients
now have alternatives to the treatment of a painful condition
known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD). This condition
refers to the diseases of the blood vessels outside of the
heart. This involves the narrowing of the vessels that carry
blood into the legs, arms, stomach, kidneys and brain. If left
untreated, PVD of the legs can ultimately lead to amputations.
In fact, it is the leading cause of amputations in the U.S.
Doctors at Good Samaritan Hospital use two FDA-approved
equipment to remove harmful plaque build-up: The SilverHawk™
Plaque Excision System and the Diamondback 3600 Orbital
Atherectomy System. The SilverHawk™ Plaque Excision System uses
a tiny rotating blade the size of a grain of rice to shave away
large quantities of plaque from inside the artery. As it is
removed, the plaque collects in the tip of the device and is
then removed from the patient. In comparison, the Diamondback
3600 Orbital Atherectomy System uses an asymmetr