SAN ANTONIO – At 54, Hugo McDonald is walking on his own without pain for the first time in two years since being diagnosed with peripheral artery disease. He blames his out-of-control diabetes for the complication, which often results in amputation, because the lack of circulation in the artery due to plaque buildup eventually leads of ulceration of the bone.
"It literally felt as though I was walking on the bones of my feet,” McDonald explained. “Very, very painful. I think the most troubling thing for me was when my feet began to turn black."
That’s when if met up with Dr. Stefan Kiesz, a cardiologist who is credited for the first stent placement. He says Hugo was an impossible case, with blockages of the artery all the way down his leg to his ankle. Traditional methods failed so Kiesz tried the brand new, FDA approved, Pantheris system by Avinger.
With the system’s developer standing by, Kiesz performed what had been considered impossible. The three-pronged approach apparently offered the surgeon the best view of the artery, the precise ability to locate the plaque and finally, an intensely precise removal.
It’s a medical first in the city, the national, and Kiesz said he was informed, in the world.
"We were using a special device that cuts the plaque but this device also sees inside,” Kiesz said. “So you don't cut the plaque blindly like we do with the traditional device, we actually see the plaque, then we take it out, take it out. So that actually saved his leg."
McDonald said he is grateful that he will soon return to a passion of his: fishing.
His doctor also has big plans too.
"There is another option for these patients so they are not going to go right under the knife which is something that we should avoid at any costs," Kiesz said.
For more on the Pantheris system, click here.