Live Surgical Webcast: angioplasty with vascular stenting

Press Release Source: OR-Live, Inc.
Live Surgical Webcast: Significantly Improving Quality of Life for Kidney Dialysis PatientsMay 13, 2009 at 7:00 PM CDT From Genesis Medical Center in Silvis, Illinois
On Wednesday May 13, 2009, 10:23 am EDT

SILVIS, IL--(MARKET WIRE)--May 13, 2009 -- Watch George Kontos, Jr., M.D., as he uses a minimally invasive treatment for the long-term management of vascular access in kidney dialysis patients. The live surgical webcast, an angioplasty with vascular stenting, will premiere Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. CDT, on OR-Live.com. The procedure is done at Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus, Silvis, Ill.

To patients undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage kidney disease, circulation is everything. During hemodialysis, a machine takes the place of the kidneys, pumping blood from the patient's body through flexible tubing, cleaning it and then returning it to the patient's body through a separate tube. To connect to the machine, called a hemodialyzer, an access into the patient's blood vessels must be created.

When an artery or vein carrying blood to or from a patient's dialysis access site, usually an arm or leg, narrows or develops a blockage, the limited blood flow makes hemodialysis more difficult and less effective.

Catheter-based Interventional Procedures

According to the Congressional Kidney Caucus, more than 475,000 Americans have irreversible kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. Most patients on dialysis require a maintenance procedure, either a balloon angioplasty or an angioplasty and stent, once or twice a year to maintain adequate blood flow to their access site.

"Before we had catheter-based procedures, these patients would come into the operating room for open procedures, which required hospital stays and a lengthy healing process," says Dr. Kontos. "That was on top of dialysis three or four times a week. It was easy for them to just give up."

"These minimally invasive procedures require only a few hours in the hospital, have better outcomes and are much more adaptable to the patient's lifestyle," Dr. Kontos says. "Now, they're more compliant and happier."

About ORLive

ORLive is the world's leading surgical broadcasting company. Working collaboratively with hospitals and device manufacturers, ORLive produces customized, interactive, video programs that demonstrate the latest surgical techniques and product innovations. The ORLive broadcasting network provides an intimate look at over 650 live and on-demand surgeries to a global audience, streaming over 45,000 hours of programming each month. The ORLive network can be found on-line at http://www.or-live.com/.

Video-Link Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=981604

Contact:
Contact:
Robert Ronan
Manager Strategic Marketing
(860) 953-2900
Email Contact
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Live-Surgical-Webcast-iw-15229486.html