Forrest Health Physician Completes Mississippi’s First Procedure with AGENT™ Drug-Coated Balloon to Treat Coronary In-Stent Restenosis

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (February 11, 2025) Dr. Murphy Hinson, DO, a cardiologist with Hattiesburg Clinic, recently performed the state’s first AGENT™ Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB) procedure at Forrest General Hospital. This procedure is used to treat a patient with coronary artery disease who is experiencing in-stent restenosis (ISR).

Angioplasty and stenting are procedures used to widen a patient’s coronary artery(ies) that are blocked or narrowed. Patients who have coronary artery disease may develop in-stent restenosis where scar tissue forms under the stent, causing a previously opened coronary artery to narrow again. Normally, another angioplasty or heart bypass surgery would be needed to correct the problem.

Through the use of the AGENT DCB, which is coated with the anti-restenotic drug, paclitaxel, the device is inserted and transfers a therapeutic dose of paclitaxel to the artery wall to help prevent the reoccurrence of in-stent restenosis. It also prevents another layer of metal stenting from being left behind in the body.

“We were able to successfully use Boston Scientific’s new AGENT Drug-Coated Balloon to treat a local male patient who suffered from severe coronary artery disease with severe in-stent restenosis,” said Dr. Murphy Hinson, DO. “This was the first such treatment in the state of Mississippi using this new technological advancement. We are excited to be able to launch and offer this product to our patients. We have used drug- coated stents for some time now, but this is the first coronary drug-coated balloon available for patients with in-stent restenosis."

The DCB, being distributed by Boston Scientific, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in early 2024, and is being used commercially in many international markets. The success of the procedure is supported by positive clinical trial findings demonstrating its statistical superiority compared to uncoated balloon angioplasty. Currently, it has been used to treat more than 100,000 patients globally and is the only such device available.

Forrest Health continues striving to do what is best for its patients through the use of new procedures and state-of-the-art technology.

For more information about Heart & Vascular services, visit forresthealth.org/heart.

ABOUT FORREST HEALTH

Forrest Health is a system of healthcare organizations formed to increase access to quality health care in south Mississippi. Forrest General Hospital is its flagship hospital. In addition to Forrest General, Forrest Health hospitals include: Highland Community Hospital, Picayune; Jefferson Davis Community Hospital & Extended Care Facility, Prentiss; Marion General Hospital, Columbia; Pearl River County Hospital & Nursing Home, Poplarville; Perry County General Hospital, Richton; and Walthall General Hospital, Tylertown. Forrest Health is also home to The Orthopedic Institute and Institute of Neuroscience, both in Hattiesburg, as well as a variety of healthcare clinics throughout its 19-county coverage area.