Local doctor introduces cutting-edge medical procedure in Idaho
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BLACKFOOT — A local doctor brought a new medical procedure to Idaho.
Dr. David Shelley, a vascular and interventional specialist at Bingham Memorial Hospital, performed a Recor Paradise Procedure on March 27 for the first time in the Gem State. This is a procedure that aims to decrease high blood pressure in a patient who’s proven to be resistant to medication.
“The effect of decreasing blood pressure is that it decreases your risk for stroke, heart attack, renal disease — things that high blood pressure can worsen,” Shelley said.
It’s done by having a catheter inserted through an artery in the patient’s groin, which is fed into the renal artery (which supply the kidneys with blood). On the end of the catheter, a 3 to 8 millimeter balloon inflates and adheres to the walls of the artery.
Once inflated, an ultrasound energy resonates through the walls of the artery to the sympathetic nerves. This deters the nerves from transmitting signals to increase blood pressure.
“So by denervating the sympathetic nerves that surround the outside, it has been shown to decrease blood pressure significantly,” Shelley said.
The procedure has been proven to be safe and effective with four different studies and over 500 patients, Shelley says.
For people with resistant hypertension, meaning high blood pressure that isn’t brought down by medications, this procedure can bring them to healthy levels. When the patient’s blood pressure is finally lowered, their overall health and quality of life increases.
“You’re gonna reduce the incidence of stroke, coronary artery disease and risk such as kidney disease by a significant amount just by maintaining your blood pressure,” Shelley said.
When Shelley heard about it, he contacted the company to introduce it in Idaho.
“I found out about this, contacted the company and they were aware of me and we developed a relationship and thought we’d do the first case out here,” Shelley said.
Now that it’s available, Shelley says those interested can schedule an appointment to find out if they qualify.
“There’ll be some questions we ask to screen patients before we waste their time and get their hopes up for something that is really not meant for them,” Shelley said.
The consultation might require an ultrasound or CT scan to determine if the patient’s kidneys are compatible with the equipment.
While Shelley believes this treatment will become more common in the future, Recor is being careful about which doctors are given equipment. With 20 years of experience in the field, Recor viewed Shelley as a qualified doctor to bring the treatment to the area.
“They’re making sure this is done by experienced physicians. They don’t want just anybody to do it,” Shelley said.