In constant pain and with a wound that wouldn't heal, Zenobia Hayman, 79, of Galesburg was diagnosed more than a year ago with a blockage in the artery of her lower left leg and faced amputation of the limb. "I was really worried that I was going to lose my leg," Hayman recalled. "My last hope was this new thing that the doctor talked to me about. I thank the Lord it worked. My leg healed, and I'm no longer in that miserable pain."

Hayman was among the first patients locally to undergo a new technique for treating blocked leg arteries. Called SilverHawk Plaque Excision System, this new device has a rotating blade the size of a pea that physicians use to clean out plaque from inside the artery.

The shaved plaque is collected in the tip of the instrument and removed from the patient. With the blockage removed, blood flow to the artery is restored. And with improved circulation in her leg, Hayman's wound healed.

"My mom is back walking with her cane," said Hayman's daughter, Yvonne Hayman. "We put her walker away. When she was in so much pain, she couldn't do the things she loves: going to church and gardening. Now she can."

Vascular surgeon Dr. Scott Reid of Mid Illini Surgical Associates in Peoria is a big booster of the SilverHawk technology. He performed the procedure on Hayman at Methodist Medical Center in February of 2005. He is one of a half-dozen physicians in Peoria using the new technology.

The SilverHawk became available for use in 2003 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the device in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. It was developed by FoxHollow Technologies Inc. of Redwood City, Calif.

"I'm very excited about this procedure," Reid said.

"I see a lot of patients with blockages below the knee. For some of these patients you can do open bypass surgery and (balloon) angioplasty to correct the problem, but for others you can't. The problem is the smaller the vessels you are working in, the higher rate of failure for these treatment methods. And the vessels get small below the knee. They can be as small as 2 or 3 millimeters in size at the ankle level."

When he first examined Hayman, Reid didn't believe she was a candidate for traditional treatments such as bypass surgery, balloon angioplasty or stenting. "She was facing amputation," the surgeon said. "This (the SilverHawk) really was her only option."

During the procedure, which typically takes one to two hours, the SilverHawk is delivered through a catheter and inserted through a small puncture in the patient's groin. The physician sees the blockage by injecting a contrasting dye in the artery and reviewing the area by X-ray. Once at the site of the blockage, the physician activates SilverHawk's tiny blade and advances the device through the vessel, shaving plaque from the artery walls as it moves forward.

"You must be very attentive not to traumatize or injure the artery," Reid said. "But in some respects it's very similar to doing angioplasty or stents."

Over the past year, Reid has performed the procedure on some 50 patients. The device has some potential risks, including excessive bleeding and injury to the blood vessel. The contrast dye that is used in the procedure also can put stress on the kidneys, the doctor said.

"I haven't had any complications in my patients related to this procedure," Reid said. "We have had two patients who have developed a recurrence of stenosis (blockage of the artery). We may have to repeat the procedure with them."

It isn't always possible to use the SilverHawk device in cases where the artery is completely blocked, the surgeon said. Reid also has used the device for leg blockages above the knee with good results.

"Whether it is a better treatment option above the knee than bypass surgery, angioplasty or stenting, we just don't know yet," the surgeon said.

But Reid believes SilverHawk is potentially "a shift in the treatment thought." The surgeon sees many benefits of using this technology.

"This (SilverHawk) removes the plaque as opposed to angioplasty or stents which simply push the plaque out of the way," Reid said. "And it's far less invasive than bypass surgery and less expensive."

For Hayman, the SilverHawk procedure required only an overnight stay in the hospital. For some patients, it's even been done as an outpatient treatment.

Reid does about two or three SilverHawk procedures a week. He examines 15 to 20 patients a week suffering with peripheral vascular disease (PVD), which is caused by a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries in the leg. An estimated 12 million people in the United States have the disease, according to Reid.

Risk factors for developing PVD include diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol and a sedentary lifestyle, he said. For less severe PVD patients, the surgeon may prescribe medication, a healthy diet, cessation of smoking and a supervised exercise program.

For now, the device, which costs about $2,200, is only approved for use in the legs, Reid said. Someday, it may be used for plaque removal in coronary vessels, according to a Methodist Medical Center spokesperson.

"What's exciting for me is that patients like Zenobia Hayman, who are facing possible leg amputations, may now have another treatment option," Reid said. "Having an alternative to amputation is so important. Almost half of those who undergo an amputation aren't alive in two years."