Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Coronary arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood to the muscle tissues of the heart. If they become blocked, heart tissue will die, resulting in a heart attack. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) along with stent implantation is used in approximately 700,000 Americans annually to treat coronary artery disease. However, six months post-PTCA, restenosis (re-blocking) occurs in 20 to 30 percent of patients after balloon angioplasty and stenting (referred to as in-stent restenosis).

Cardiologists have attempted to treat in-stent restenosis with a variety of different techniques including repeated balloon angioplasty and additional stenting. Despite these efforts, repeat in-stent restenosis occurs in 54 to 66 percent of cases. In attempt to reduce the rate of restenosis, a therapeutic technique involving the use of local ionizing radiation called intravascular brachytherapy has been used at our Mercy Radiation Therapy Center in conjunction with Mercy Hospital’s cardiology lab. This procedure involves a team approach. At a minimum, this team should include a cardiologist and staff, radiation oncologist, and medical physicist.