Pictured from left to right are Eric Landry, RN; Dr. Pradeep Nair; and Trevor Champagne, RN.
HOUMA- Dr. Pradeep Nair, interventional cardiologist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) in Houma, Louisiana, was the first in Louisiana to use the Zilver® Vena™ Venous Self-Expanding Stent to treat blockages in the iliac veins, located in the abdomen. The procedure took place at the CIS Ambulatory Surgery Center in Gray, Louisiana.
Manufactured by Cook Medical, Zilver Vena is a self-expanding stent used in patients suffering from deep venous obstruction. This condition occurs when the veins become blocked or narrowed, causing restricted blood flow to the heart. In this particular case, the patient suffered from May-Thurner’s syndrome, where the left iliac vein is compressed by the right common iliac artery. The compression causes scar tissue to build up in the vessel wall, narrowing the vein. When implanted in a patient, Zilver Vena expands to restore venous flow. The stent was designed to balance flexibility and strength—it’s flexible so that it can conform to a patient’s anatomy while it provides sufficient lumen expansion to restore venous flow. The smaller sheath delivery system is also an advantage for patients.
“For most venous stents currently in use, the delivery sheath required is what we call a 9-French or greater in size,” explained Dr. Nair. “In addition to Zilver Vena’s enhanced flexibility and kink resistance, the smaller 7-French delivery system makes this stent particularly attractive for venous stenting. When sized appropriately by intravascular ultrasound, the Zilver Vena stent is quite easy to deliver and deploy within the target lesion.”
Symptoms of venous disease may include leg swelling, leg pain or cramping, ulcers, discoloration or restless legs. If left untreated, patients may experience extreme leg pain, loss of mobility or more severe complications such as pulmonary embolism (blood clots that migrate to the lungs), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or tissue scarring.
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