NORTHWEST INDIANA | Powers Health on Thursday became the first healthcare system in Indiana to use the SEISMIQ™ Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) system from Boston Scientific, an acoustic pressure wave therapy that supports physicians in treating patients with complex calcified peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Dr. Dean Ferrera, an interventional cardiologist at Powers Health, led the team in performing the procedure at Community Hospital in Munster.
"This next generation of minimally invasive technology enhances our ability to treat patients with advanced, calcified peripheral arterial disease in a more efficient manner,” Dr. Ferrera said. “I fully expect many people will benefit from these techniques."
The SEISMIQ system uses laser generated acoustic pressure waves delivered via a balloon catheter to break up hardened calcium while preserving surrounding soft tissue. Breaking up the calcium helps prepare the vessel for further treatment, such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement.
PAD is a common circulatory condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, most often in the legs. In many advanced cases, plaque buildup in the arteries becomes calcified, making the arteries stiff and harder to treat with traditional tools. These hardened calcium deposits can prevent balloons or stents from expanding properly, making procedures less effective and more difficult to perform.
The system is designed to support more precise energy delivery, enabling a high level of control for physicians when treating various types of calcified lesions. It also allows users to activate specific emitters along the catheter’s length to tailor therapy based on lesion location and severity. This emitter-level control, combined with consistent acoustic pressure and real-time feedback, helps physicians make real-time adjustments as needed during the procedure for more effective lesion preparation.
IVL has become an important tool in the treatment of calcified lesions, offering an alternative to traditional plaque modification techniques. Across the industry, it is recognized for delivering high success rates, low complication risks and improvements in quality of life for patients with challenging calcified lesions, particularly those with critical limb-threatening ischemia.
