Mr. Liu is a taxi driver who stays up late and works overtime for a long time, and his diet is irregular. Recently, he often feels chest tightness and shortness of breath, and he will feel flustered and sweaty when he moves a little. He was worried that something was wrong with his heart and went to the hospital.
In the Department of Cardiology, the doctor performed a series of examinations for Mr. Liu, including electrocardiogram, echocardiography, coronary CT, etc. The results showed that Mr. Lau's coronary arteries were blocked by plaque in multiple places, and blood flow was blocked, which belonged to the category of coronary heart disease.
Mr. Liu was very anxious: "Doctor, I heard that there is a new technology called plaque removal, which can remove all the plaque in the blood vessels, is it better than stent surgery?
The doctor patiently explained, "Mr. Liu, the plaque removal you mentioned may refer to coronary atherocystectomy, which is an emerging technique. It uses a micro-cutter to remove plaque from the blood vessel and restore vascular patency, which theoretically does have some advantages, such as avoiding foreign body implantation and reducing the risk of in-stent restenosis. "
When Mr. Liu heard this, his eyes lit up: "Then should I have this operation as soon as possible?"
"However, plaque removal is still in the clinical research stage and is far from being widely available," the doctor continued.
First of all, the requirements for the operator are very high, and there are still very few doctors who are skilled in performing this surgery. Second, not all plaques are suitable for excision, and some hard plaques with a high degree of fibrosis are at greater risk of excision.
In addition, the repair of the blood vessel wall after plaque removal is also a challenge. If not treated properly, it can worsen vascular damage. Therefore, until the safety and efficacy of plaque removal are further validated, stent surgery remains the treatment of choice for coronary heart disease. "
Mr. Liu suddenly realized: "So that's the case, I thought the plaque removal technique was mature." So in your opinion, how should I treat it now?"
"Based on your current condition, I recommend that you first take medication, including antiplatelet drugs, statins, etc., to control plaque progression," the doctor said. If the drug does not respond well, then consider interventional treatments, such as stenting.
Of course, the most important thing is to improve your lifestyle, quit smoking and limit alcohol, eat a reasonable diet, exercise moderately, and control risk factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids. We believe that with comprehensive treatment, your condition will definitely improve. "
Mr. Liu nodded and decided to follow the doctor's advice and actively cooperate with the treatment to improve his living habits.
Mr. Liu's story reflects the voices of many patients with coronary heart disease. In the face of disease, everyone hopes to have a "miracle medicine" or "magic technique" that can quickly cure the disease. However, medicine is never achieved overnight, and the application of any new technology needs to be rigorously clinically validated.
In fact, although plaque removal is a promising new technique, it is by no means a "panacea".
As the doctor said, this technology is still in the clinical research stage, and there are still many problems to be solved, such as difficult operation, limited indications, and uncertain long-term efficacy. If it is blindly promoted, it will not only fail to bring the desired effect, but may increase new risks.
In contrast, although stent implantation is not perfect, it has been used in clinical practice for decades, and its safety and efficacy have been fully verified. For most patients with coronary artery disease, stent surgery remains the most reliable and effective treatment option available.
Of course, that doesn't mean we can dismiss the value of plaque removal. As an emerging technology, it provides new ideas and possibilities for the treatment of coronary heart disease. With the deepening of research, it is believed that this technology will become more and more mature and benefit more patients.
In addition to surgery, the treatment of coronary heart disease requires a combination of medications and lifestyle interventions.
Medication can control the progression of the disease and stabilize plaques, while lifestyle improvements, such as quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, eating a reasonable diet, and exercising moderately, can fundamentally reduce the occurrence of coronary heart disease. It can be said that the treatment of coronary heart disease is a systematic project, which requires the joint efforts of patients, doctors and family members.
For new technologies, we must have a rational understanding and not blindly follow the trend. The doctor's explanation tells us that while plaque removal has certain advantages, it is still in clinical research and cannot replace the current stent procedure.
For patients with coronary heart disease, the most important thing is to follow the doctor's advice, comprehensive treatment, and lifestyle improvement. Let us work hand in hand, treat diseases with a scientific attitude, protect health with positive actions, and let life be full of vitality in the benevolence of doctors and the efforts of patients.