Experimental Device Aids Angioplasty

VIENNA - Sending a small device into veins to cut up blood clots and vacuum them out improves the medical outlook of patients facing angioplasty.

Research from the University of Vienna shows using the X-sizer may help more than receiving an angioplasty alone. The device, which is used in several other countries, is still considered experimental in the United States.

An angioplasty may be performed to push aside blood clots in arteries. Research has shown that keeping these arteries open with stents is also an effective method of preventing future blockages. However, the team concluded that combining traditional treatments with the new device may be the most efficacious procedure.

Using the X-sizer with an angioplasty adds an additional 20 minutes to the procedure.

There was no word whether officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were considering the device for approval in the United States.

Information from www.reuters.com