It’s always exciting at Bingham Memorial Hospital when we are the first to perform a procedure in the state. Dr. David Shelley, an Interventional Radiologist at Bingham Memorial is bringing the latest in technology to Idaho with a state-of-the-art stent that has a special coating of medicine, designed to keep blocked arteries in the legs open.

Last week, Dr. Shelley installed the first medicine-coated stent in a patient’s leg for the first time in Idaho. The new stent, called Zilver Paclitaxel-Elating Stent, is coated with a medication that is designed to stop the body’s natural defense system from stepping in and re-narrowing the artery.

“With the new medicine-coated stent, I can unblock a patient’s artery in the leg and achieve a long-lasting result with minimal invasiveness,” says Dr. Shelley. “This is a great product that will lead to improved patient outcomes, and it is very exciting to be the first in Idaho to perform a procedure using this new technology.”

Dr. Shelley often places stents in patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). PAD is a common and serious form of vascular disease caused by a buildup of plaque in the major arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to your legs, feet, arms, and pelvis. Over time, this plaque can harden and narrow the arteries (called atherosclerosis), restricting blood flow to affected areas.

Individuals often refer to the reduced blood flow in the lower extremities as “poor circulation.” Those with PAD are at a higher risk for having hardened arteries that lead to the heart and brain, increasing their chances for having a heart attack or stroke.

The classic symptoms of PAD are cramp-like leg muscle fatigue or heaviness, discomfort or pain that occurs in the buttocks, thigh, or calf muscles when walking or even while resting in bed. Other symptoms include coldness, numbness and tingling in the lower legs and feet, and ulcers or sores on the legs or feet that don’t heal.

If you’re ready to end the discomfort in your legs, allow Dr. Shelley to discuss all your options with you. He can treat PAD with a new medicine-coated stent and help your legs look and feel great again. Call his office in Blackfoot for more information at 785-3800.