Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL; Shockwave Medical) gives physicians “the option to treat a patient efficiently without implanting something like a stent, which would limit further treatment,” Enrique Alejandre Lafont (St Gallen, Switzerland) tells Vascular News at the 2022 Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium (26–28 April, London, UK).
Lafont discusses how the process of IVL works and how it differs from other treatment options such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, noting that “with this method [IVL] we can really leave nothing behind”.
“Currently, I use the device in all patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who have moderate to severe calcium”, says Lafont, before adding that atherectomy has “a longer learning curve” compared with IVL.
“IVL is simple to use. Also, if you use IVL and the result is not good, you can still use all the other methods in your toolbox” he says, concluding that “IVL represents a paradigm shift in my daily routine because it is an effective method that provides me with reproducible results in the treatment of calcified vessels”.
This video is sponsored by Shockwave Medical.
