Members of interventional cardiology community wish former President Bill Clinton a quick recovery

SCAIFeb 15 2010

Members of the interventional cardiology community wish former President Bill Clinton a quick recovery following his recent hospitalization for angioplasty and stenting.

Like many heart patients, Mr. Clinton has communicated a desire to return to work promptly. Because angioplasty procedures are performed percutaneously, without major surgery to open the chest, most patients who receive coronary stents leave the hospital within one to two days and promptly return to the activities they love. 

News of Mr. Clinton's treatment serves as a reminder of the importance of utilizing the full range of medical and device treatments for patients with heart disease. Medication, angioplasty, stents and bypass surgery all play a key role – often complementing one another – in treating and saving thousands of heart patients' lives each year. Like Mr. Clinton, many patients taking the appropriate prescribed medications find that additional treatment may be needed to reduce debilitating symptoms like chest pain.

Mr. Clinton's experience also demonstrates how important it is for patients to listen to their body's warning signals. Mr. Clinton's quick response to his symptoms led to prompt and effective care and may have prevented a much more serious incident. All cardiac patients should be aware that heart disease is chronic – that the disease often progresses even after successful revascularization procedures such as bypass surgery, which Mr. Clinton underwent six years ago. Drug-eluting stents, now commonly used for percutaneous procedures, have further reduced the risk of needing another procedure compared to older stent technology.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading killer of both men and women in America. It is only through continued innovation and access to the full range of treatment options that we can effectively battle cardiovascular disease for all patients – those who are at risk, those who suffer from stable chest pain, and those who experience heart attack.