Premier Surgical Seeks Peripheral Artery Disease Patients for Treatment Study
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Premier Surgical Associates in Knoxville is seeking patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) to participate in a treatment study.
The DURABILITY II research study will test the safety and effectiveness of the PROTÉGÉ EverFlex Stent system to improve blood flow in the leg and foot compared to balloon angioplasty. Stents are commonly used to improve blood flow among PAD patients.
"The DURABILITY II study allows us to offer technology we've never had before, giving our patients a better quality of life," said Dr. Christopher W. Pollock, principal investigator of the DURABILITY II study for Premier Surgical Associates. "Through this study we can use new, longer stents, which reduces the number of stents needed in many cases. Fewer stents used means fewer seams, which results in fewer complications. Overall, DURABILITY II should help us better manage PAD for our patients."
PAD is commonly referred to as the hardening of the arteries, as the inside of the artery becomes narrow and blood flow is reduced. PAD affects 8-12 million people in the U.S. and can lead to serious health problems such as stroke, heart attack or amputation.
Early in this disease, common symptoms may include cramping or pain in the legs and heavy or tired legs while exercising or at rest. Only about one-third of all people with PAD feel pain; most have no symptoms at all. Adults may have PAD of they have pain in their legs, diabetes, high cholesterol and/or smoke.
Exercise, medications, balloon angioplasty, bypass grafts and stents are used to improve blood flow in the legs to treat patients with PAD.
The DURABILITY II study may be appropriate for adults with narrowing in a major artery in their legs and who are able to attend clinic visits. Most patients are referred to Premier by a primary care physician or a podiatrist. Participation in the study is voluntary, and all eligible subjects who provide informed consent will undergo balloon angioplasty followed by stenting using the EverFlex stent. Participants will be asked to return for follow-ups at 30 days, six months and one, two and three years.
For more information on participating in the DURABILITY II study, please contact Brenda Wear of the Premier Clinical Research Center at 865-862-6929 or bwear@premiersurgical.com.
Headquartered in Knoxville, Premier Surgical Associates has 27 surgeons who perform general, vascular, endovascular, vein, bariatric, breast and laparoscopic (minimally invasive) procedures. Premier has offices in Knoxville, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Jefferson City, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Athens and Seymour. Premier physicians perform surgeries at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center; Parkwest Medical Center; Parkwest Surgery Center; St. Mary's Medical Center; St. Mary's Ambulatory Center, Physicians Surgery Center; Blount Memorial Hospital and Maryville Surgical Center in Maryville; Methodist Medical Center and Advanced Family Surgery Center in Oak Ridge; and Fort Loudoun Medical Center in Lenoir City. For more information, visit http://www.premiersurgical.com.