This week Nebraska Medical Center became the first hospital in the nation to use a stent designed to fit larger vessels and allow more flexibility.
On Thursday, Feb. 11, Yiannis Chatzizisis, MD, PhD, chief, interventional cardiology, Gregory Pavlides, MD, PhD, and Edward O’Leary, MD, implanted the SYNERGY MEGATRON stent for the first time ever in the United States. In separate successful procedures, two women in their early 60s became the first patients in the nation to receive Megatron, a stent created by Boston Scientific.
“The Megatron coronary stent is a paradigm shift in interventional cardiology as it introduces for the first time the concept of using stents specifically designed for specific parts of heart arteries. This is truly a 21st century precision medicine approach,” says Dr. Chatzizisis. “Megatron’s unique design makes the stent stronger and more expandable, and thereby ideal for large and stiff heart arteries. That’s a real game changer for interventional cardiologists and their patients.”
“Our partnership with Boston Scientific exemplifies the shared vision of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Center for Heart and Vascular Research; A collaborative translational research effort of basic science research, technology development and clinical deployment,” says Daniel Anderson, MD, PhD, UNMC chief of cardiology. “This collaborative approach has been critical and central in us helping to bring Megatron to the U.S. market. We value the partnership that Dr. Chatzizisis has built with Boston Scientific and the leadership support of Nebraska Medicine and the Heart and Vascular teams. We are excited for the impact of this effort and expect the Megatron stent to elevate and improve the care of our complex cardiovascular patients.”
The FDA approved Megatron last month. Other medical centers will begin using the specialized stent the week of February 15.
More information about the Megatron stent from Boston Scientific is available here [bostonscientific.com].