Bassett Medical Center Performs Network's First Below-the-Knee Implant to Treat Peripheral Artery Disease

Esprit™ BTK System Can Reduce Risk of Amputation for Some Patients

Cooperstown, N.Y. – Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown has completed its first successful implantation of the Esprit™ Below the Knee (BTK) System from Abbott. This system is the first-and-only FDA-approved drug-eluting resorbable scaffold for one of the most severe forms of peripheral artery disease (PAD) - chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI).

A patient with CLTI can experience severely blocked blood flow to their legs or feet due to plaque build-up in the arteries. This condition can, in some cases, lead to amputation, heart attack, stroke, or death. 

The Esprit™ BTK System addresses this condition by acting as a stent, inserted into a narrowed artery to act as a scaffold to keep it open. While inside the artery, the system delivers a drug into the surrounding arterial wall to prevent the growth of new tissue that can cause the artery to re-narrow. Over time, the system is fully absorbed into the artery. 

Charles Drucker, MD, is the Bassett vascular surgeon who performed the implantation procedure. 

“My colleagues and I are proud to bring this medical innovation to Bassett Healthcare Network,” said Dr. Drucker. “Historically, when treating vessel disease in the small vessels found in the lower legs, there have not been many durable options. Now, this revolutionary system is providing patients with better blood flow and less pain while allowing them to delay or completely avoid amputation.”