EL CENTRO, Calif. – A local doctor from El Centro is helping treat patients who have peripheral artery disease.
He is the first doctor in the country to treat patients with this innovative technology called DABRA.
His name is Dr. Ansari and he has been practicing in El Centro for over 20 years.
“DABRA is a laser atherectomy to recanalize chronically occluded vessels and it stands for, destruction of arteriosclerotic blockages by laser radiation ablation,” said Dr. Ather Ansari, Interventional Cardiologist and Endovascular Specialist.
Dr. Ansari performs this special procedure using Zenon and Chloride to clear blockages in patients’ arteries.
“Patients that used to be able to walk down the street or to the mailbox or go shopping on their own are experiencing such pain that they can even move around their own homes. And they arrive in wheelchairs and after the procedure with the DABRA laser and catheter system as performed here at Dr. Ansari’s practice in El Centro, they leave within a matter of hours walking out on their own,” explained Melissa Burstein, Executive Vice President with Ra Medical Systems.
“There’s no blood down below his leg, so our challenge tonight is to open up that circulation, restore it below the leg to save him from most likely and amputation,” showed Ansari.
With just over 50 procedures performed with DABRA, there has been a 95 percent success rate and zero complications. The unique procedure uses a liquid filled catheter instead of one with wires which enables doctors to deliver more energy to clear blockages.
“We have patients who have come over from San Diego, San Francisco, some part of Arizona and recently I just got a phone call about three or four weeks ago and I am talking to them, an overseas patient from outside united states,” said Ansari.
We were able to speak with a patient who had his procedure on Monday and who says his life has changed completely.
“This technology helped me yesterday, that we were able to completely open his SFA and also below the knee vessels. Completely revascularized, he’s completely much improved and all he needs is to have his wound heal now,” added Ansari.
Patients with amputations have a very high mortality rate, almost 51 percent will die in one to two years.
Copyright 2017 KYMA
This article was originally published by KYMA. Read the original article.