Preventing Recurrent Arterial Blockages.

• Position: Checkmate System - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

The first intravascular brachytherapy (radiation) system for recurrent blockages in coronary arteries previously treated with coronary artery stents is a vast improvement over existing technology, according to Paul Teirstein, director of interventional cardiology, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, Calif. "Over the past few years, we've witnessed incredible advances in the treatment of coronary artery disease, particularly in the area of coronary artery stents, the tiny mesh braces used to prop open narrowed heart vessels. But, until now, no development has been able to overcome the obstacle of recurrent blockages, or `in-stent restenosis,' in treated coronary artery lesions."

"Our Checkmate System offers the unprecedented opportunity to make the winning move in this ongoing battle against in-stent restenosis," says Jesse Penn, president of Cordis Cardiology U.S., Miami Lakes, Fla. He estimates that 100,000 patients in the nation must contend with recurrent in-stent restenosis. Penn notes that the incidence of in-stent restenosis has...