One of First Hospitals in Nation to Launch Treatment
July 15, 2016, Morristown, NJ – Morristown Medical Center, a nationally recognized leader in cardiology and part of Atlantic Health System, today announced it is the first hospital in New Jersey to offer the Absorb stent, the first-and-only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved bioabsorbable stent used to treat blockages in people with coronary artery disease.Traditionally, coronary artery disease – a buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries that could lead to a heart attack – is treated with metal, drug-eluding stents, small mesh-like devices that push the plaque against the wall of the artery and help the arteries stay open. Once the plaque clears, typically after a number of months, the stents remain permanently in the body.
The Absorb stent, manufactured by Abbott, is made of material similar to dissolving sutures, and absorbs completely and naturally into the body over a three-year period. With no metal left in the body, the risk of future blockages that occur with metallic stents is decreased, and it may be easier for doctors to offer additional interventions in the future if necessary.“We are proud to be one of the first hospitals in the nation, and the first hospital in New Jersey, to offer our patients the latest approved treatment for coronary artery disease,” said Will Neate, MBA, MA, director of the cardiovascular service line for Atlantic Health System. “We continue to advance cardiac science and evaluate new treatment options by participating in clinical trials, as we did for the Absorb stent, which ensures our ability to offer new-to-market therapeutic interventions almost immediately.”
The Absorb stent was approved by the FDA on July 5. On July 12, Barry Lowell, MD, FACC, FSCAI, an interventional cardiologist with Atlantic Medical Group implanted the first stent in a patient with coronary artery disease at Morristown Medical Center.“This fully absorbable stent is revolutionary in that it will minimize the likelihood of late stent complications and allow for easier medical follow-ups,” said Lowell.Coronary artery disease affects 15 million people in the United States and remains a leading cause of death worldwide despite decades of therapeutic advances.
About Morristown Medical Center
Morristown Medical Center, located in Morristown, NJ, is a nationally-ranked regional medical center and a recognized leader in cardiovascular medicine, orthopedics and nursing. The hospital was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top hospital nationwide for cardiology and heart surgery, geriatrics, orthopedics and pulmonology. Morristown Medical Center also ranked as a “Best Regional Hospital” for neurology and neurosurgery, as well as gastroenterology & GI Surgery, gynecology, nephrology and urology. Morristown Medical Center’s Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute performs more cardiac surgeries than any other hospital in New Jersey, placing its cardiac program in the top two percent in the country. The Atlantic Orthopedic Institute at Morristown Medical Center has the highest volume of joint and spine surgeries in New Jersey. In 2014, the hospital was re-designated a Magnet Hospital for Excellence in Nursing Service, the highest level of recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for facilities that provide acute care services, a distinction awarded to less than five percent of U.S. hospitals. Morristown Medical Center is certified as a Level I Regional Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, and designated a Level II Trauma Center by the state of New Jersey. Morristown Medical Center is part of Atlantic Health System, one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey