“Frozen Angioplasty” Helps Keep Arteries Open For years, doctors
have used small inflatable balloons to open up blocked arteries,
a technique known as angioplasty. One downside is that the
procedure often causes scar tissue, resulting in renewed
blockage. In March, doctors at Froedtert & Medical College
Cardiovascular Center began using a new angioplasty technique
with a good prognosis for keeping blood vessels open. The new
technique, called CryoPlasty™, employs an angioplasty balloon
filled with sub-zero cryogenic fluid. When inflated at the site
of a blockage, the balloon freezes the arterial wall, inhibiting
the cells that form scar tissue. Early results are promising.
For example, about 50% of all patients who undergo standard
angioplasty in the femoral (thigh) artery will end up needing
another procedure within one year. With CryoPlasty, that figure
drops to 20% or less. According to interventional radiologists
at Froedtert & Medical College, CryoPlasty will not completely
replace regular angioplasty. T