Results of Dr. Ho’s study shows gut microbes may be able to help prevent post-surgical restenosis, or the renarrowing of the arteries — a condition that affects between 20 percent and 50 percent of patients who have an open or endovascular procedure.
Based on her initial study, Dr. Ho believes butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid created by the gut microbe, may help prevent scarring and renarrowing in arteries after vascular surgery.
To support her research, the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation and the American College of Surgeons have given Dr. Ho a grant to conduct additional studies on butyrate and other metabolites that could positively affect blood vessels after vascular surgery.
“We are trying to identify the good microbes and the bad ones as well as understand their function,” said Dr. Ho. “We are very excited because we have made a lot of initial progress.”
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