Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland announces it is the first in Southeast TN to use a new stent dedicated to treat a specific condition that affects a considerable number of patients with coronary artery disease called coronary bifurcation lesion. Coronary Artery Disease is defined by the presence of plaque in the heart arteries, which can lead to decreased blood flow to the heart muscle. If the plaque buildup continues to worsen, this can lead to chest pain and even a heart attack. The most challenging CAD lesions to treat with stents involve coronary bifurcations, which are portions of the heart arteries with branches.
“In other words, if you think of a heart artery as a tree with branches, we are putting a dedicated stent where a tree branch comes off the limb when significant plaque accumulates in this portion of the heart artery,” states Dr. Hady Lichaa, interventional cardiologist. The FDA recently approved the first stent dedicated to treat such lesions.
Hady Lichaa, MD, FACC, FSCAI, RPVI, board certified interventional cardiovascular specialist with Tennova Cardiology Cleveland, performed the procedure utilizing this new stent at Tennova on Wednesday, Jan. 18. “It is rewarding to be able to offer the most technologically advanced cardiac devices at our facility to help patients with the most complex cardiac conditions. We are proud of our highly trained cardiac catheterization laboratory team and our specialized equipment. This new device allows for safe treatment of one of the most severe CAD bifurcation lesions,” states Dr. Lichaa.
“The staff at Tennova Healthcare Cleveland and the cardiologists at Tennova Cardiology – Cleveland are pleased to bring this advanced treatment to our community,” states Coleman Foss CEO of Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland. “Over the past few years, we have been fortunate to help grow our cardiac program with the addition of experienced highly qualified cardiologists, growth in cardiac services available such as implants, PCI and now with this new device. We will continue to strive to provide compassionate quality healthcare to meet the needs of our community.”
Tennova Healthcare is encouraging East Tennesseans to know the early warning signs of a heart attack and to call 9-1-1 right away.
Heart Attack Warning Signs
For both men and women, the most common sign of a heart attack is:
Other common signs of a heart attack include:
Women are more likely than men to have these symptoms:
If you have any of these signs of a heart attack, call 9-1-1 and get to the hospital right away.
For more information or a physician referral, call 1-855-TENNOVA (836-6682).