Lhasa, China – On September 6, the first PCI case of Firehawk® Rapamycin Target Eluting Coronary Stent System ("Firehawk®") in Tibet Autonomous Region was successfully completed in Chinese Armed Police Force of Tibet Autonomous Region Hospital. Firehawk® is a stent in-house developed by Shanghai MicroPort Medical (Group) Co., Ltd. ("MicroPort®").
The surgery was performed by Professor Chengxi Yin of Beijing Anzhen Hospital of Capital Medical University. The female patient, 54, had been suffering from leg edema, chest distress, and chest pain for a long period. On September 6, after coronary arteriography diagnosis, she was implanted two Firehawk® stents and achieved immediate remission of symptoms. As the only coronary stent approved for use in Chinese Armed Police Force of Tibet Autonomous Region Hospital, Firehawk® won high recognition from physicians and patients with its outstanding performance in PCI cases.
Tibetans are more likely to develop atherosclerosis of coronary artery due to their living conditions and diet habits. They live in the Tibet Plateau with 4,000 to 5,000 meters in altitude, and under such cold, low oxygen and low pressure living condition, the red blood cell would increase, leading to blood viscosity, slow blood flow and even microcirculation disturbance. Besides, they largely rely on food high in salt, fat and calorie, but lacking of vitamin and microelement, which would also increase the risk of atherosclerosis of coronary artery.
The coronary accessory of MicroPort® was first used in Chinese Armed Police Force of Tibet Autonomous Region Hospital for coronary angiogram in April 2017, and the first PCI case of Firehawk® marks the its coverage of all the provinces in the Chinese mainland. As the leading coronary stent provider in China, MicroPort® is committed to offering high-quality and more affordable solutions for patients with coronary heart disease and will continue to organize free clinic, donation activities, training courses, and surgery demonstrations to improve the medical treatment in minority areas to save more patients or improve their life quality.