Parrish Medical Center is Brevard County’s First Hospital to Implant Revolutionary Dissolvable Stent to Treat Serious Below-the-Knee Arterial Blockages

Parrish Medical Center is Brevard County’s first hospital to implant a first-of-its-kind dissolvable, drug-eluting stent to treat patients with severe below-the-knee arterial disease.

Parrish Healthcare interventional cardiologist Mahmoud Barbarawi, MD, performed a catheter-based procedure using the Esprit™ BTK Everolimus-Eluting Resorbable Scaffold System (manufactured by Abbott laboratories), a stent specifically engineered to treat chronic limb-threatening ischemia—the most severe form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

“This advanced, bioresorbable stent is designed to maintain patency in below-the-knee arteries and deliver everolimus to support vessel healing and reduce restenosis before it dissolves,” said Dr. Barbarawi. “Treating below-the-knee peripheral arterial disease presents unique challenges, including a high risk of reintervention within 12 months.”

Dr. Barbarawi noted that the Esprit™ BTK system is currently the first device of its kind and may pave the way for additional treatment options. “The dissolvable stent represents a major milestone in the management of complex below-the-knee PAD,” he said. “As a physician, I take great satisfaction in knowing that Parrish Healthcare is employing cutting-edge technologies to enhance patient care and safety.”

Peripheral artery disease affects approximately 20 million people in the United States. Of those, more than 10% develop critical limb ischemia which has a profound impact on both quality of life and life expectancy, with a prognosis that is worse than that of many cancers. Parrish Healthcare was the nation’s first member of Cleveland Clinic Connected, a collaboration that brings together Cleveland Clinic experts to enhance patient care, quality and safety. In keeping with our commitment to excellence, we are dedicated to serving our community by leveraging advanced technology and delivering state-of-the-art care to our patients.

Dr. Barbarawi is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and has authored more than 100 scientific publications, including work focused on peripheral arterial disease. He is an interventional and endovascular cardiologist with Parrish Medical Group.

For more information about peripheral arterial disease, the Esprit™ BTK Everolimus-Eluting Resorbable Scaffold System or Parrish Healthcare’s cardiovascular program, visit parrishhealthcare.com/cardiovascular or call 321-268-6868.