Cooper Named Primary Study Site
Cooper will take part in a clinical trial of the first medical device designed to specifically treat aortic dissections, an often-fatal condition that affects tens of thousands of Americans and claimed the life of actor John Ritter.
Recognized as a preferred treatment center for minimally invasive treatment of aortic diseases, Cooper was approved by the hospital’s institutional review board (IRB) for its involvement in the study. This approval follows the recent appointment of the trail’s global principal investigator, Joseph V. Lombardi, M.D., F.A.C.S., as Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Cooper and associate professor of surgery at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey.
Cooper joins an international network of study sites in Cook Medical’s STABLE aortic dissection trial, intended to evaluate a novel procedure- called the Cook Zenith Dissection Endovascular Sytem- that could replace costly and invasive open surgery to restore normal blood flow in damaged aortas. The new technique would reduce risk, speed recovery time and improve the quality of life for patients who experience compications in Type B dissections, which occur in the descending aorta.
“Given its reputation amongst the medical community as a leader in aortic repair, Cooper represents a natural fit for the STABLE aortic dissection trial,” said Dr. Lombardi. “The trial has already made great progress in advancing minimally invasive treatments for thoracic aortic dissections, and by bringing the trial to Cooper University Hospital, we anticipate building upon that success to achieve even greater results.”
The current trial, which began in December 2007, is the first and only to focus on the endovascular treamtnet of Type B aortic dissection.