An atherectomy is a procedure that utilizes a catheter with a sharp blade on the end to remove plaque from a blood vessel.

Deborah Heart and Lung Center is the first hospital in New Jersey to offer this treatment to provide relief for patients suffering from the painful symptoms of peripheral artery disease.

The device, Avinger’s Pantheris™ lumivascular atherectomy system, is an innovative image-guided therapy which, for the first time ever, allows physicians to see and remove plaque simultaneously during atherectomy – a minimally invasive procedure that involves cutting plaque away from the artery and clearing it out to restore blood flow.

Because the Pantheris device incorporates real-time optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging on a therapeutic catheter – like having a small camera on the tip of the device – physicians are able to remove this plaque more precisely than ever before. With less risk of damage to the artery walls, which can result in aggressive scarring, there is greatly reduced risk of restenosis, or re-narrowing of the artery. In the past, physicians have had to rely solely on X-ray, as well as touch and feel, to guide their tools while they treated complicated arterial disease.

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How does it work?

The catheter is inserted into the artery through a small puncture in the artery. It is designed to collect the removed plaque in a chamber in the tip, which allows removal of the plaque as the device is removed from the artery.

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What can I expect after treatment?

For patients, this safe and more-precise treatment may potentially reduce the need for follow-up procedures and stents.