Vascular News’ top 10 most popular stories of April 2021

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Highlights from the Charing Cross (CX) 2021 Digital Edition (19–22 April, online)—including the potential of Philips’ Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology to reduce radiation and improve ease of deployment with shorter operation times—caught readers’ attention in April.

1. Endologix announces acquisition of PQ Bypass

Endologix announced it has completed the acquisition of PQ Bypass, a medical technology company pioneering a first-of-its-kind technology that addresses an unmet need for new treatments for severe peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

2. Added benefit of carotid revascularisation to modern medical care “needs to be revisited”, study concludes

A pooled meta-analysis finds that patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis enrolled in recent randomised controlled trials (RCTs) had a lower risk of stroke after randomisation than historical controls. According to authors Urs Fisch (University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland) and colleagues, their findings add to the current evidence that the risk of stroke associated with symptomatic carotid stenosis has decreased over time, potentially attributable to improved medical care and risk factor control.

3. “Radiation will be a thing of the past”: FORS in the spotlight at CX 2021

Opening the Charing Cross (CX) 2021 Digital Edition (19–22 April, online), experts deliberated crucial controversies in the abdominal aortic space. Discussion emphasised the potential of Philips’ Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology to reduce radiation and ease technical success, with moderator Gustavo Oderich (Houston, USA) suggesting that “radiation will be a thing of the past” thanks to this new technology.

4. CX audience supports call to change agency recommendations regarding paclitaxel use in peripheral interventions

Addressing representatives from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) directly, Thomas Zeller (Bad Krozingen, Germany) argued at the Charing Cross (CX) Digital Edition 2021 (19–22 April, online) that “it is time to change the agency recommendations regarding paclitaxel use in peripheral interventions”. Polling revealed that a 71% majority of the CX audience supported this view.

5. Surmodics announces first patient uses of two Sublime radial access platform devices

Surmodics revealed the successful first uses in patients for two devices within its Sublime radial access platform: the Sublime radial access guide sheath and Sublime radial access .014 RX percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) dilatation catheter.

6. Study shows use of temporary intravascular shunts improves early limb salvage after extremity vascular injury

A multicentre retrospective study of the PROOVIT (Prospective observational vascular injury treatment) registry suggests the use of temporary intravascular shunts (TIVSs) results in lower rates of amputation during the early phase of care and should be part of a more aggressive approach to restore perfusion in the most injured patients and ischaemic limbs. These findings appear in the April 2021 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery.

7. Great news for EVAR: Registry data shows procedure is safe, durable, and effective out to five years

Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is safe, durable, and effective, the five-year interim results of the Global Registry for Endovascular Aortic Treatment (the GREAT registry) show. In this analysis of more than 3,000 abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients treated with an abdominal aortic stent graft, Ross Milner (Chicago, USA) told attendees of the Charing Cross (CX) 2021 Digital Edition (19–22 April, online) that the investigators saw excellent technical success, procedural survival, and hospital survival rates, as well as no stent fractures, negligible occurrence of stent compression and/or migration, and low aortic- and device-related reintervention rates. In addition, there were extremely low aortic-related mortality and post-EVAR aortic rupture rates, with approximately 88% sac regression or stability at five years.

8. Philips SmartCT application software receives FDA 510(k) clearance

Royal Philips announced US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its Philips SmartCT application software. SmartCT is a key component of Philips’ image guided therapy system—Azurion—providing interventionalists with computed tomography (CT)-like three-dimensional (3D) images (cone beam CT) to support diagnosis, therapy planning, treatment, and follow-up for interventional radiology procedures.

9. Fluoroscopically-guided insertion of td-CVC found to be “low exposure”, despite large variability across procedure types

While there is large variability based on the site of insertion, patient characteristics and previous accesses, fluoroscopically-guided insertion of tunnelled central venous catheters (td-CVC) for dialysis can be considered a “low exposure” procedure, according to a report.

10. BUTTERFLY study finds most reinterventions after FEVAR are not related to balloon-expandable covered stent use

A mid-term assessment of bridging stentgraft integrity and flare geometry following fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) finds that, although there is a substantial reintervention rate post-procedurally, most are not related to the use of balloon-expandable covered stents (BECS). This is the conclusion presented by Jean Paul de Vries (Groningen, The Netherlands) at the Charing Cross (CX) 2021 Digital Edition (19–22 April, online). He informed his audience that computed tomography (CT)-applied software enables the visualisation of precise BECS-morphology, allowing interventionalists to see changes during follow-up. “These changes in flare geometry and D-ratio may predict later failure,” he explained.


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