Baylis Medical Technologies today announced the completion of its first clinical use of the PowerWire Pro radiofrequency (RF) guidewire to safely cross a chronically occluded peripheral stent. The procedure was performed in April 2024 by Mark Iafrati (Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA).
A press release reports that the patient was suffering from a chronically occluded stent that extended from the inferior vena cava (IVC) down to the left common iliac vein. Previous attempts to cross the occlusion with mechanical tools were unsuccessful, likely owing to the dense fibrotic nature of the occlusion. The patient was brought back and Iafrati performed the procedure with the PowerWire Pro RF guidewire, which utilises RF energy to vaporise a channel through occlusions, allowing for successful crossing and subsequent revascularisation of the iliocaval stent.
“This marks a significant advancement in the treatment of patients with in-stent restenosis”, commented Iafrati. “I was able to easily cross the occluded stents with the PowerWire Pro RF guidewire when my standard tools had failed.”
This spring, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Baylis Medical Technologies’ PowerWire Pro RF guidewire.
Frank Baylis, executive chairman of Baylis Medical Technologies, expressed enthusiasm about the PowerWire Pro RF guidewire’s potential impact, stating: “This innovation aims to simplify the often challenging and time-consuming process of crossing chronic occlusions in revascularisation procedures, ensuring uninterrupted patient treatment.”
