A rare and unique angioplasty, using the new 'Cypher Select' stent, performed by a team of cardiologists led by Dr Ashwin Mehta of Jaslok Hospital was transmitted live to the gathering of cardiologists and medical experts in Singapore for the three day Singapore International Cardiology Therapeutics convention from the 6th to 8th August.

Using an enhanced version of the Sirolimus drug-eluting stent, Cypher Select, Dr Ashwin performed the procedure on the elderly lady who was already a diabetic and was further diagnosed as suffering from the lesser known 'anomalous coronary artery,' a disease whose incidence is 1 in 25 lakhs.

"Diabetic patients, especially those dependent on insulin, are in the highest-risk patient subsets for treatment of cardiovascular disease, because they tend to have a more diffused and aggressive vascular disease pattern than non-diabetic patients", said Dr Desai.

Dr Desai added that using the Cypher Select stent, the team was able to unclog the plaque that had gathered on the wall of the artery and ably place the drug-eluting stent that was coated with the drug, Rapamycin, an anti-cancer drug that aids in protein inhibition.

According to Dr Mehta, the Cypher Select stent stood out from the other traditional drug-eluting stents by virtue of it lowering the incidence of restenosis. "The stent addresses one of the most stubborn problems in CAD treatment, namely the potential for restenosis. Cases treated with traditional stent angioplasty have shown that nearly 20-30 per cent of the patients experienced restonosis. But the Cypher Select prevents the occurrence of reblockage, which previous uncoated stents failed to achieve, minimizing the need for surgery and other forms of re-treatment," explained Dr Mehta.

The only hindrance that could be encountered with the new stent is the cost that currently varies from Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh. But that too will be lowered in the coming months making it more affordable to the masses, hopes Dr Mehta.