February’s top 10 includes the announcement that Abbott is to acquire Cardiovascular Systems, results of the PRESERVE study on the safety and effectiveness of inferior vena cava filters in treating venous thromboembolism, and an interview with past president of the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Jon Boyle (Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK).
1. Abbott to acquire Cardiovascular Systems
Abbott and Cardiovascular Systems (CSI) have announced a definitive agreement for Abbott to acquire CSI. Under terms of the agreement, CSI stockholders will receive US$20 per common share at a total expected equity value of approximately US$890 million.
2. Stenting of the SFA for intermittent claudication yields quality-of-life benefits out to 36 months
In a recent study of patients with intermittent claudication (IC) caused by isolated superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions, researchers found that primary stenting conferred benefits in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 36 months from treatment compared with best medical therapy (BMT) alone, which were lost at the 60-month mark, where a high crossover rate affected the power of the final analysis.
3. Gore initiates EMBRACE registry to evaluate VBX stent graft as bridging stent
W L Gore & Associates recently announced that it is initiating the EMBRACE registry to capture real-world data about the Gore Viabahn VBX balloon expandable endoprosthesis used as a bridging stent in conjunction with a branched/fenestrated stent graft.
4. New study demonstrates IVC filters “safe and effective” in treating venous thromboembolism
Few adverse events are connected to the use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters to help prevent deep vein blood clots from developing into pulmonary embolisms (PEs), according to the findings of the Predicting the safety and effectiveness of inferior vena cava filters (PRESERVE) trial, published jointly in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR) and the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders (JVS-VL).
5. UK-COMPASS maps out complex aneurysm treatment in England, points to possible overtreatment
Data from the UK-COMPASS trial provide new insights into the management of complex aneurysm treatment in England and, according to lead investigator Srinivasa Rao Vallabhaneni (University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK), underscore the need for appropriate patient and technique selection to avoid overtreatment.
6. The BeBack crossing catheter: A “game-changer” in endovascular PAD practice
Crossing chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions are challenging procedures. The BeBack crossing catheter—Bentley’s first product to be available in both Europe and the USA following the company’s acquisition of Upstream Peripheral Medical Technologies’ GoBack crossing catheter in September 2022—offers a new solution in this space. Andrej Schmidt (University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany), one of the first to use the catheter, shares his clinical experience with the BeBack, noting how it has been a “game-changer” in his endovascular peripheral arterial disease (PAD) practice.
This advertorial is sponsored by Bentley.
7. Equivalency to clinical practice “varies considerably” across recent carotid intervention trials
The external validity—in other words, the transferability to real-world clinical practice—of contemporary randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating carotid artery stenosis interventions “varies considerably”, as per a recent analysis published in the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (EJVES) by senior author Hans-Henning Eckstein, first author Michael Kallmayer (both Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany) and colleagues.
8. Biotronik launches Oscar multifunctional peripheral catheter
Biotronik has announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance and CE mark of its Oscar (One Solution: Cross. Adjust. Restore) multifunctional peripheral catheter.
Following his 2021–2022 presidency of the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland (VSGBI), Jon Boyle (Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK) speaks to Vascular News about his career so far. He also shares his thoughts on the future of vascular surgery, anticipating that the management of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) will become a more prominent part of vascular practice due to an ageing population and increased prevalence of diabetes, and details some of his present work in this field. He tells aspiring surgeons that, although COVID-19 and a lack of resources have “cast a shadow” over the last couple of years, he has “no doubt medicine will continue to be a thoroughly rewarding career”. Outside of medicine, Boyle shares his love for sport, and details his involvement in various charity fundraising events.
10. Sex found to be “important variable” in study and treatment of carotid atherosclerosis
A systematic review and meta-analysis have demonstrated “convincing evidence” that sex differences exist in carotid atherosclerosis, with all types of plaque features—including those relating to size, composition, and morphology—found to be either larger or more common in men than in women.
