Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – All Saints cardiologists were the first physicians in a six state area to have access to the new Integrity coronary stent. This device, manufactured by Medtronic Inc., was very recently approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration.

The device is used to treat patients with blocked coronary arteries, the most common cause of heart disease in this country. Dr. Thomas Shimshak, an interventional cardiologist and the Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Institute at All Saints, implanted the first device in a patient on September 30, 2010.

Over the last five years, there have been several major advances in coronary stent technology. With the Integrity, the device design benefits both the patient and the physician. “As a physician, the device is very small and extremely flexible. It improves our ability to track the device through very tortuous vessels and improves our procedural safety and success for a broader range of cases,” says Dr. Shimshak. “For a patient, it moves smoother through the vessel reducing the potential trauma to the vessel.”

The Integrity represents one of many new cardiac therapies available at the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – All Saints Cardiovascular Institute. All Saints is the recipient of a HealthGrades 5-star rating in 2010 for the treatment of a heart attack and a 5-star rating for 2009 and 2010 for the treatment of heart failure. HealthGrades is the nation’s leading independent ratings organization. The Society of Chest Pain Centers recognizes All Saints as an Accredited Chest Pain Center.