June 19, 2004 – The Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center has new equipment to remove blood clots from arteries of the heart.
The hospital announced in a recent press release that it has acquired the AngioJet Thrombectomy System to be used by the hospital's Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
The release said the hospital has used the technology, approved by the American College of Cardiology, in 10 procedures since April 1.
The medical term for blood clots is thrombus.
In addition to removing thrombus in coronary vessels, the AngioJet System is also approved to remove thrombus in arterial occlusions in arms and legs.
The release stated, "This new technology and its wide array of applications is a clear and definite treatment advantage to the people of St Croix who suffer from the effects of heart disease and blood clots throughout the body."
In the U.S. mainland, thirteen hundred healthcare facilities have the AngioJet System. The Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital is one of only two healthcare facilities in the entire Caribbean that has this new technology.
The press release concluded that the hospital and its staff "continue their commitment to the highest level of care for the community and are reducing the number of deaths related to heart disease by providing services that were once offered only in large cities."

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