Safety and Outcomes Using New Endovascular Technologies
Chronic total obstruction (CTO) of the arteries supplying blood to the knee and lower leg is a condition most frequently found among the elderly, smokers, and people with diabetes. As a leading cause of lower limb ischemia (CLI), it drastically curtails healing of wounds and sores of the legs and feet, resulting in amputations below the knee (more than 50,000 of which occur annually in the United States). In recent years, innovative endovascular techniques to puncture and debulk the lesions coupled with new technologies (e.g., flexible stents, drugeluting angioplasty balloons) have greatly expanded treatment options for CTO and CLI, but how effective are these different treatments, and what factors should determine a vascular surgeon’s choice?
These questions take center stage at a dedicated session at VEITHsymposium Thursday morning, November 15th, in New York. The session’s presentations include discussion of new endovascular techniques and tools to puncture lesions in the distal arteries, and analyses of major clinical studies such as the ETAP Trial, which compared balloon angioplasty versus stenting for popliteal arterial lesions (the popliteal artery extends from the femoral artery and traverses the knee), and the YUKON Trial, which compared a sirolimus-eluting stent versus bare metal stent for occlusive disease below the knee. The VEITHsymposium format of rapid-fire presentations and structured debate assures a wide-open and vigorous discussion.
Source: VEITHsymposium.
