Dr. Paul Micale, cardiologist at Riverside Regional Medical Center, performed the Peninsula’s first drug eluting stent implant procedure Tuesday, June 17. The drug eluting stent, manufactured by Cordis Corporation, is the latest advance in treating coronary artery disease. Riverside has utilized other coronary stents in the treatment of coronary artery disease for several years.

Dr. Micale implanted the new stent in a 70-year-old Hampton woman. The drug eluting stent, recently approved by the FDA, utilizes a special drug coating that is released over time and has been shown to reduce the incidence of one type of artery re-closure. Not all patients should expect or would benefit from this new device.

Artery re-closure affects 30-40% of coronary artery disease patients. The FDA approved the use of this new stent in select patients who were shown to benefit from the device in controlled clinical trials. Riverside cardiologists have adopted the strict clinical guidelines as approved by the FDA. The stent’s manufacturer, Cordis Corporation, has limited the distribution of this product to select hospitals in the state.

Paul Micale, MD is a board-certified interventional cardiologist and one of 21 cardiologists on staff at Riverside Regional Medical Center. He joined Riverside’s staff in 1986. Riverside Regional Medical Center is the area leader in implanting pacemakers and automatic implantable cardiac defibrillators (AICDs). The facility is the only Peninsula hospital performing open-heart surgery.

For additional information about stents or other treatments for coronary artery disease call Riverside Regional Medical Center’s Cardiac Catheterization Department at (757) 594-2751.