Jenny S. Choy, M.D.
Assistant Research Professor,
Biomedical Engineering Department
Contact:
635 Barnhill Drive MS 2065 J
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 274-6825
jschoy@iupui.edu
Education:
Medical School and Graduate Studies: Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, Lima, Peru (1996)
Postdoctoral training:
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine (2003-2006)
Research area : cardiovascular biomechanics, vascular remodeling, and coronary venous retroperfusion
Coronary heart disease is America’s number 1 killer. One of the greatest challenges that cardiac research faces today is the development of an effective and long-lasting procedure for the treatment of coronary occlusive disease. Saphenous vein or internal mammary artery bypass grafts are well-accepted procedures for patients with segmental occlusion. There are many patients with diffuse disease, however, for whom a direct procedure is not technically suitable. The possibility of coronary retroperfusion was first suggested more than a century ago. The method was abandoned, however, because of the high mortality rate from the edema and hemorrhage in the postcapillary venules that resulted from the elevated pressure. We have shown that ligation of the left anterior descending vein increases the pressure between arterial and venous values, which arterializes and remodels the venous system of the left ventricle. This step is of great importance to prevent the rupture of the small venules during retrograde perfusion. Our studies provide a rationale for the development of coronary retroperfusion strategy for the ischemic myocardium through pre-arterialized venous vessels.
