Six-month data from Merit Medical’s Wrapsody WAVE trial, an update on the NHS England Acute Aortic Dissection Toolkit, and a large meta-analysis of endovascular aneurym repair (EVAR) outcomes by age all caught Vascular News readers’ attention in September.
1. Merit Medical’s Wrapsody WAVE trial demonstrates superior patency versus standard of care in AV fistula patients
Merit Medical has announced positive six-month findings from the randomised arteriovenous (AV) fistula arm of its Wrapsody arteriovenous access efficacy (WAVE) pivotal trial. The data were shown at the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) annual congress (14–18 September, Lisbon, Portugal) during a FIRST@CIRSE presentation.
2. Aortic dissection toolkit sees progress, but specialists warned against complacency
A dedicated toolkit has made it safer to be an aortic dissection patient in England today than it was before the project’s 2022 launch, but there is still work to be done, Rachel Bell (Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, UK) informed attendees at a recent dissection meeting.
3. Are we overtreating aortic aneurysms in the elderly?
A large meta-analysis of elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) outcomes by age has shown that three-to-five-year survival is very low in octogenarians, prompting researchers to caution against routine intervention in these patients.
4. Vesalio launches thrombectomy system in the USA for peripheral occlusions
“Given the complicated health history of patients with acute limb ischaemia, physicians often face the challenge of delivering devices through highly diseased arteries and working in small, stenotic vessels,” noted Frank Arko (Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Charlotte, USA) in a press release announcing the launch. He added that “pVasc has a low profile and excellent deliverability, making it an especially valuable tool when access is difficult or when working in arteries below the knee.”
5. European registry set to raise the evidence bar for deep venous intervention
The pilot phase of a new European Venous Registry (EVeR)—designed to illuminate the real-world outcomes of deep venous interventions over a 10-year time horizon—launched this month.
6. Shockwave Medical expands US peripheral IVL portfolio with enhanced catheter
A company press release details that the Shockwave E8 catheter is designed to optimise the treatment of patients with calcified femoropopliteal and below-the-knee peripheral arterial disease (PAD), including patients with complex chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI).
7. AngioDynamics announces CE mark approval in Europe for the Auryon system
The Auryon atherectomy system uses solid-state laser technology to treat PAD lesions and occlusions. A press release notes that Auryon is the first laser atherectomy system to efficiently treat lesions of any type, length, or location (above and below the knee), with minimal impact on vessel walls.
8. SVS Vascular Quality Initiative launches Carotid Care Quality Champion programme
The programme honours healthcare organisations across the USA dedicated to improving the safety and effectiveness of vascular care through participation in the VQI’s carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy registries, a press release reads.
9. Study sheds light on vascular-specific advanced practice provider experience
In a recently conducted survey, over 200 US advanced practice providers (APPs) in vascular surgery cited performing at the top of their licence as the most important determinant of job satisfaction. This and other key findings are set to be presented at the Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society (MVSS) annual meeting (12–14 September, Chicago, USA).
10. Philips announces US FDA approval for enhanced LumiGuide guidewire, marks 1000th patient treated with 3D device guidance technology
This enhanced LumiGuide guidewire, which utilises the company’s Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology, was used for the first time on a patient by Carlos Timaran (UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA). He used the technology during a complex aortic aneurysm repair operation, marking the 1000th patient treated milestone using FORS since its first clinical use in 2020.
