James Joye, DO, a Salinas Valley Health interventional cardiologist, came up with the idea for this medical breakthrough 20 years ago. The procedure treats complex peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with a noninvasive technique and specialized stent to bypass a blocked femoral artery and restore blood flow to the leg.
“It feels extraordinary,” says Dr. Joye. “It’s been my life’s work and it took a lot of smart people to make this happen. I get emotional when I think of all the patients this will help live longer and better lives.”
The innovative approach, recently approved by the FDA after years of global clinical trials, is the first ever fully percutaneous transmural arterial bypass (PTAB) therapy using the DETOUR™ System, an alternative to more invasive bypass surgery. It significantly reduces a patient’s length of stay at the medical center; instead of six to 12 weeks of recovery, patients see an immediate improvement in blood flow and pain relief.
Cleveland Clinic and Salinas Valley Health were the first two facilities selected to launch the nationwide rollout of this life-changing procedure. The National Institutes of Health estimates that between 8 million and 12 million Americans suffer from PAD. People over the age of 50, those with diabetes and those with a history of tobacco use are especially at risk.
