Inova among first hospitals to introduce leading-edge treatment for blocked or narrowed coronary artery stents

Cardiac catheterization and placement of cardiac stents is a highly effective, common procedure to treat blockage of the coronary artery. It uses a tiny, metal frame tube to reopen the artery and restore blood flow to the heart. Even though it is performed fairly frequently, the procedure isn’t without risk.

In roughly 10% of cases involving coronary stent placement, the coronary artery recloses at the site of the stent, a complication known as in-stent restenosis (ISR). Currently, when that happens, the vast majority of all patients with ISR receive another stent, meaning an additional metal frame is placed inside the existing one to reopen the blood vessel. However, additional coronary stents increase the risk of ISR happening again or a blood clot forming in the new stent.

Inova Schar Heart and Vascular at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus was the only hospital in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area selected to participate in an earlier clinical trial demonstrating the effectiveness of using the first coronary drug-coated balloon as a treatment alternative for ISR. Now fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the procedure is available in a limited number of U.S. hospitals. The AGENT™ Drug-Coated Balloon by Boston Scientific expands treatment options for physicians and their patients by delivering a targeted drug dose to dissolve ISR blockage without introducing an extra layer of metal. 

“Coronary stent restenosis has been a challenging condition that reduces patients’ quality of life,” said Behnam Tehrani, MD, Co-Director of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories for Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. “Prior to the introduction of the AGENT Drug-Coated Balloon, we were limited to conventional balloon angioplasty as our primary treatment strategy.”

“Our team is proud of Inova’s track record in pioneering promising innovative and complex cardiac procedures,” said Wayne Batchelor, MD, MHS, FSCAI, Associate Director of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular, System Director of Interventional Cardiology at Inova, and Director of Interventional Cardiology Research and Education at Inova. “We’ve been pleased with the results of our experience in using the AGENT device. Data from the clinical trial demonstrated this as an effective, lower-risk treatment. While everyone’s course of treatment depends on many factors, this is a promising option to have available for our patients.”

The procedure, 600 of which have been performed in the U.S. and nearly 100,000 worldwide, is currently only available in Northern Virginia at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, but plans are to expand the panel of physicians performing the procedure and eventually offer it at Inova Loudoun Hospital as well. The procedure is performed in the cardiac catheterization lab with most patients returning home the same day.

“This is one of several new and innovative cardiac procedures we have introduced this year,” said Christopher O’Connor, MD, MACC, FESC, FHFSA, FHSA, President of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular. “This underscores our commitment to advanced techniques and consistently delivering outstanding outcomes for our patients.”

In 2023, Inova Schar Heart and Vascular performed nearly 7,300 total cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary interventions.

Learn more about our award-winning program and services at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular.