PATIENTS OF ST. ELIZABETH’S HOSPITAL AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HEART INSTITUTE TO BENEFIT FROM INTRODUCTION OF SELF-EXPANDING CORONARY STENTS

BELLEVILLE, August 5, 1998 -- The SciMed Life systems, Inc. division of Boston Scientific SCIMED has selected St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville to be the first St. Louis-area hospital to receive the company’s Radius self-expanding Nitinol stent. Clinical staff members of St. Elizabeth’s cardiac catheterization laboratory have completed training in use of the stent. The product is now available for treatment of patients at St. Elizabeth’s and the Southern Illinois Heart Institute, says Vladimir Sterkin, Director of Cardiac Services at St. Elizabeth’s.

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to introduce the Radius stent to heart patients in the St. Louis are," says Sterkin. "We are certain that our patients will benefit from this technology. The company selected St. Elizabeth’s to introduce the product because of the hospital’s progressiveness and safety record in the use of cardiac catheterization technology, and because the cardiologists who provide treatment to our patients have demonstrated strong capabilities in utilizing new technologies."

A stent is a cylindrical device that is placed in a coronary artery at the conclusion of an angioplasty procedure, after arterial plaque has been compressed against the arterial wall, to help prevent the artery from narrowing again after the procedure. A traditional stent is placed over a high-pressure balloon catheter that is inflated to fit the stent to the blood vessel’s dimensions.

Unlike traditional stents, however, the self-expanding stent expands to the blood vessel’s diameter after insertion without the use of the balloon catheter, allowing for a safer and more effective procedure and one that is less traumatic for the blood vessel, Sterkin explains.

"The Radius self-expanding stent features a multiple segment design that helps it conform to a blood vessel’s curvature," says Sterkin. "It is covered by a smooth sheath that makes insertion that makes insertion easier and minimizes interference with blood flow after insertion. Data from testing of the stent in clinical trials showed that there is 0 percent chance of embolization with the Radius stent, which means it is very safe." (Embolization is formation of a blood clot in a vessel as a result of trauma to the vessel during insertion of a stent.)

The Southern Illinois Heart Institute was formed in 1996 by St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville and Belleville-based Cardiology Consultants Ltd. SIHI provides a full range of high-quality cardiovascular healthcare services in easily accessible, "close to home" locations for southern Illinoisans. SIHI is a cooperative joint venture -- or exclusive partnership -- between St. Elizabeth’s and Cardiology Consultants.

SIHI physicians and hospital medical and administrative staff members work as a team, providing a seamless continuum of care for cardiac patients. Patients receive preventive and acute services under one administrative umbrella. Patients and non-patients can utilize SIHI’s extensive free or low-cost community education programs, including the 2,600-member SIHI Walking Program. For more information, call 1-800-676-SIHI (7444).

For More Information Contact:

Southern Illinois Heart Institute
211 South Third Street, Belleville, Il 62220
Tel: 1-800-676-SIHI (7444)
Internet: info@sihi.org