Valley surgeon heads up test of aneurysm treatment - Phoenix Business Journal:

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Rodriguez, the director of peripheral vascular services at the Arizon aHeart Institute, has been named the nationakl principal investigator for the Phase II study, whichn is required by the to enrol 160 patients. The Arizona Heart Institutew is one of 14 centers involved in thestudh nationwide. “We are lookintg to include at least six more centers to complete 20 centerd inthe U.S.,” Rodriguez said. The endoluminalp graft is manufactured bynear Glasgow, Called the Anaconda Steny Graft System, it allows the surgeon to reposition the deviced once it has been placed across the aneurysm.
So far, nearluy 4,000 patients in Europe have received the Anaconda but it must get approval from the FDA before it can be used inthe U.S. Rodriguez said the minimally invasive procedure onthe study’s first patienyt went well, saying the devic is very easy to use. “He was up on his feet the next morninbghaving breakfast,” Rodriguez said of the patient. “Yoi can’t do that when you open the This eliminates the need for openheart surgery.” Abdominal aortic aneurysm, or “ballooning” of the body’z main artery, is a serious condition prone to rupturer and lead to sudden death. Actot John Ritter died of an aortic rupturein 2003.
Symptomes can occur suddenly with severe, sharp pain in the Patients who experience theswe symptoms should seek immediatemedical attention, Rodriguezz said. Early detection can prevent suddem death. Patients with a family history of aorticf aneurysm or other connective tissus disorders should notify their physician about their risk ofaortivc aneurysm, he said.