First in nation: A patient at Baton Rouge General is the first person in America to participate in a study using the Avinger Pantheris 3D technology for a new peripheral artery disease surgery, the hospital announced today. Dr. Glen Schwartzberg was the first vascular surgeon to use the 3D device to clear plaque from a stent in the patient’s leg, returning blood flow to its normal rate and reducing the risk for amputation. A maximum of 140 patients will be enrolled in the clinical trial at up to 20 facilities worldwide.
Asking for more: Louisiana’s top higher education board is asking for $192 million more in state financing for public colleges next year. The Board of Regents approved the request today, asking for the increase in the 2018-19 fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget boost is likely a long-shot as the governor and lawmakers will already be trying to close a $1 billion shortfall. Under the Regents’ proposal, most of the dollars would flow directly to the four college systems, which have been repeatedly hit with state financing cuts over the past decade. Read more.
Jackpot: A single ticket purchased in Eunice matched all six numbers in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing to win the jackpot worth an estimated $191.1 million—the largest single amount in Louisiana Lottery history. The winning numbers were 18-22-29-54-57 and the Powerball was 8. The store, Brownie’s, will receive a bonus of $25,000, or 1% of Louisiana’s contribution to the jackpot’s funding, whichever is greater, for selling the winning ticket. The Powerball jackpot was last won in Louisiana in 2013.
