Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2003, the new drug-eluting stent is the very latest in cardiac technology and considered by many as the beginning of a new era in heart care.

The drug-eluting stent is coated with a special medication that prevents scar tissue from developing inside the artery and causing reblockage or restenosis. Studies show the rate of restenosis in traditional stents is nearly 40 percent. The new drug-eluting stent has proven to reduce the rate of restenosis to as little as 5 percent.

“With this new procedure patients will be far less likely to have restenosis and they will have a better chance of not having future heart attacks,” says Dr. Le. Both he and Varadendra Panchamukhi, MD, are currently the two interventional cardiologists who use the new stent to help patients.

"To serve patients we need to provide the most current, effective and highest level of cardiac catheterization care possible,” Dr. Le said. “By doing these new procedures we are accomplishing that goal.” Prairie Heart Institute - Memorial Hospital of Carbondale is proud to providing this new, advanced cardiac service.