www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 85 ELLIPSYS Coastal Vascular & Vein Center has five locations in the Charleston area. The introduction of Medtronic’s Ellipsys has been a game-changer for its dialysis patients experiencing end-stage renal disease. Brian Driscoll, the senior marketing director for peripheral vascular health, the company that owns this technology, explained: “Using a single catheter and a one-poke application, this device allows doctors to use thermal energy to fuse a connecting and very durable portal between the vein and the artery needed for kidney dialysis. Unlike traditional fistulas, which must be surgically created in a hospital, the Ellipsys requires no incision and can be done in a 15- to 20-minute procedure in an outpatient clinic.” Driscoll continued, “In a clinical study, Medtronic found a 97% patient satisfaction rate with use of the Ellipsys device. While doctors will need some specialized training – which can be accomplished online or through in-person training sessions at Medtronic – using the Ellipsys device for AV fistula creation allows patients to return home the same day and limits access-point scarring. Studies have also found that the Ellipsys fistula is likely to last longer than a traditional surgical fistula.” The Ellipsys system was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2018 and has become a valuable asset at Coastal Vascular & Vein Center. Sean Hislop, M.D., chief of the department of Vascular Surgery and a vascular surgeon at Coastal Vascular & Vein Center, agreed: "The Ellipsys procedure has allowed our dialysis patients to have easy access to care and to avoid all of the hassles of the hospital. In addition, this procedure has a higher success rate than a traditional surgical fistula, making it easier and safer to prepare a patient for dialysis. Both first-time dialysis patients and patients currently on dialysis are candidates for this advanced minimally invasive procedure." BRAIN MAPPING Paul LaPenna, D.O., is a neuro-hospitalist at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in Greenville. When a patient is experiencing a stroke, time is of the essence. Recent artificial intelligence technological advances speed up brain mapping to pinpoint where damage is occurring. “I can literally read the scans on my phone while I am on my way to the hospital or coming down to the floor from another location in the hospital,” said Dr. LaPenna. “This feature speeds up ischemic stroke detection and can predict outcomes. It reduces the time needed to gather data for urgent decision-making such as which treatments to include or exclude, how to identify which parts of the brain will be irreparably damaged if not treated and whether or not the timing is right to remove the offending clot. Furthermore, showing family members pictures of the scan helps to explain the situation better to them.” As wonderful as this new artificial intelligence capability is for stroke victims and their doctors, “AI will still always need a neurologist who is aware of the patient’s history and other medical conditions, and doctors will need some specialized training to use it properly,” cautioned Dr. LaPenna. For Bon Secours stroke patients, this new technology can help physicians intervene quickly with the hope of improving recovery outcomes and, consequently, their patients’ quality of life. Whether health care technology is addressing vision deterioration, renal failure, heart disease or a host of other physical ailments, such advancements are significantly improving treatment for patients with these challenges – and for them, their families and their doctors, improved health care delivery is certainly cause for celebration. Photo Courtesy of the Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. Photo Courtesy of Coastal Vascular & Vein Center. TRANSFORM YOUR AV FISTULA CREATION Ellipsys™ Vascular Access System 91.6% cumulative patency at two years1 3,000+ successful endoAVF procedures2 18+ peer-reviewed publications2
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