It was cramping and stiffness in his foot and leg that sent 78-year-old Farrel of Little Rock Arkansas, to see his doctor. Sandy, his wife of five decades, thought he just wasn’t getting enough exercise. But exercise proved impossible: Farrel could only walk a few yards without pain, and sleeping became difficult, too. Sandy says,
“Even at night it would hurt and he would get up.”
Farrel’s doctor thought a blockage in his leg might be causing Farrel’s symptoms, and referred him to the Arkansas Heart Hospital, a center at the forefront of cardiovascular medicine developments. Dr. William Rollefson, diagnosed Farrel with peripheral vascular disease—plaque buildup in the arteries of the legs. He proposed treating the calcium with radial access atherectomy—using the wrist as the point of entry, rather than
the groin.
“The orbital atherectomy device essentially sands the plaque out of the arteries. We’re stretching the blood vessel, we’re removing plaque, we’re putting in metal devices called stents. …Going from the wrist, you have the opportunity to completely revolutionize the way you practice. Recovery is light years faster.”
“Instead of spending days, or even an overnight in the hospital, Farrel went home in just a few hours. In fact, he walked out of the hospital on his own.”
Farrel said, “I told the nurse I don’t want to ride in the wheelchair…there was no pain at all. After I got home, I didn’t have any problems.”
Like many radial access patients, Farrel experienced a quick recovery and an immediate difference in mobility. He was able to walk pain-free. No more thirty-yard limit. No more shopping trips where he stayed in the car and Sandy ran errands. Dr. Rollefson says,
“Going from the wrist, we’ve been able to send people home with no bed rest at all. If we can get through the area of blockage, 99% of the time we’re going to be able to reestablish the blood flow. Doing it the way we did allows us to have a better overall result.”*
Farrel and Sandy are once again enjoying being active and getting out together. Sandy says:
“Just being able to do what we want, and be with our children and our friends, that’s saying a lot. Farrel can go do things that we couldn’t do before.”
Farrel adds:
“Another day of life is precious!”
If you think you have, or may be at risk for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), talk to your doctor.
*Based on physician experience.
Results may vary.
Diamondback 360® Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System: The Diamondback 360 Peripheral OAS is used to restore blood flow in the arms, legs, hands, and feet in patients with blocked blood vessels from arterial disease or dialysis treatment.
Important Safety Information: The Diamondback 360 Peripheral OAS treatment is not indicated for use in the heart, in bypass grafts, within stents, or in blood vessels with dissections or clots. Although the incidence of adverse events is rare, the Diamondback 360 Peripheral OAS treatment may result in pain; low blood pressure; death; stroke; transient ischemic attack (TIA); or angiographic complications such as perforation, distal embolization, formation of blood clots, blood in the urine, abrupt or acute vessel closure, or arterial spasm. Rx Only.
