Valley Hospital Revolutionizing Treatment and Prevention of Vascular Disease
St. Luke's Medical Center first in Western U.S. to perform carotid artery stenting using Mo.Ma® device

St. Luke’s Medical Center is the first hospital in the Western United States to use a landmark new tool – the Mo.Ma(R) Ultra Proximal Cerebral Protection Device – since its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month. Cardiologists at the hospital are using the Mo.Ma Device during carotid artery stenting, an innovative and less-invasive way to treat carotid artery (vascular) disease.

Vascular disease in the carotid artery is caused by buildup of fatty substances and plaque in the body. It has previously been treated with a surgical procedure called carotid endarterectomy, which includes clamping of the carotid artery during the procedure to prevent plaque from traveling to the brain, where it has the potential to cause a stroke – the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. The Mo.Ma Device eliminates the need to clamp the artery, making the stenting process less invasive, and thus making it safer for a broader range of patients.

“The Mo.Ma Device represents a major step toward making carotid artery stenting a commonplace and preferred treatment for the prevention of strokes,” said Richard M. Heuser, MD, Chief of Cardiology at St. Luke's Medical Center. “Just as many innovations occurred to make coronary artery stenting the preferred treatment of patients at risk for a heart attack, the Mo.Ma Device is one of the more significant innovations revolutionizing the treatment of patients at risk for a stroke.”

Cardiologists at St. Luke’s Medical Center use the Mo.Ma Device to temporarily and briefly occlude blood flow to the brain, provide stability and access to the carotid artery and capture any fragments or clots that might break away in a tiny screen during the carotid artery stenting process.

“We are currently conducting clinical trials that should demonstrate that the minimally-invasive procedure, carotid artery stenting, will have surpassed the surgical procedure, carotid endarterectomy, as a safer and more effective approach to removing plaque and preventing strokes,” said Dr. Heuser.

Dr. Heuser first performed the stenting procedure using the Mo.Ma Device Nov. 19, 2009 at St. Luke's Medical Center with the assistance of the Cardiac Cath Lab team. St. Luke's Medical Center was a testing site during clinical trials for the Mo.Ma Device, which received FDA approval Oct. 22, 2009.

The Mo.Ma Device was developed by Invatec, an international company that specializes in the design, development and production of interventional cardiology and peripheral vascular products.