Devices shave away obstructions to clear blocked arteries

Sister Margaret Hartigan, a nun with the Sisters of Mercy, didn't feel sick and wasn't particularly worried about her heart -- but she had a concern she thought her physician could address.

"I went in for a routine physical and mentioned to the doctor that I had a mild discomfort. It wasn't a pain in my chest," said Hartigan, 72, who lives in Glen Cove. "But he thought it was best to do an electrocardiogram."

Hartigan's EKG led to further testing, which revealed severe coronary artery calcification.

Calcium deposits help harden arteries and are intimately associated with the development of coronary plaque, which causes narrowing that chokes off blood flow to the heart. When the organ's oxygen supply is compromised, a heart attack can occur.

Hartigan's cardiologist, Dr. Richard Shlofmitz, chairman of cardiology at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, presented her with a lifesaving option designed to reopen the artery and add years to her life.

Shlofmitz said the procedure involved a device known as the Diamondback 360 Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System, which shaves away debris in obstructed arteries.

"I understood what he told me about the procedure and I had no problem with it," said Hartigan, who became one of the first patients on Long Island to undergo the procedure late last year, not long after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Caring at the time for her sister, who had Alzheimer's disease, Hartigan said she had to balance taking care of her own health as she oversaw her sibling's care. Her sister died a few weeks ago of the mind-robbing disorder.

Shlofmitz noted the procedure, which works well in men and women, is a significant advance over similar "Roto-Rooter"-style devices. This one, he said, works much like a miniature high-speed grinder or sander. It is threaded on a catheter -- a thin wire -- through an opening in the groin to reach the obstructed artery.

Four of every 10 patients treated in the catheterization laboratory at St. Francis have severely calcified coronary arteries, Shlofmitz said. "Without a successful treatment," he added, referring to a minimally invasive procedure, "they are likely candidates for open-heart surgery."

Hartigan, who belongs to an order devoted to education, said she is pleased the minimally invasive procedure allowed her to quickly resume caring for her sister.

"It was densely calcified," Hartigan said, referring to her artery. "After the procedure, the mild discomfort was gone. And I was very lucky.

"I was told if it wasn't for the device he was using, I probably would have been transferred to open-heart surgery."