Which stories captured the attention of the venous community this year? Read our summary of the trending articles from across the Venous News network throughout 2023.
What were your highlights? Leave a reply at the foot of the page with your comments.
1. Educate, educate, and educate again: The continuing quest for appropriate venous care
Prominent venous disease experts discussed venous stenting, appropriate care, and the pursuit of refined data and better education in a space where part of the problem involves practitioners moving “freely from being able to do arterial intervention and suddenly assume they can do a venous intervention”.
2. New study demonstrates double the rate of healing of venous leg ulcers with the Geko device
UK-based medical device manufacturer Sky Medical Technology announced the International Wound Journal published a multicentre randomised self-controlled trial (RCT) from the company.
3. Inari Medical announces first patient enrolment in DEFIANCE trial of the ClotTriever system in DVT
Inari Medical shared that the first patient has been enrolled in DEFIANCE, a prospective randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing the clinical outcomes of patients with iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT) treated with the ClotTriever system versus anticoagulation only.
4. Mechanochemical ablation with ClariVein OC: A “first choice” treatment option
This advertorial is sponsored by Merit Medical.
The ClariVein OC endovenous occlusion catheter (Merit Medical) is associated with a good occlusion rate, comparable with other techniques including thermal, without major complications. This is according to a five-year Italian experience with the mechanochemical ablation device, which has been published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery (JVS).
5. AVF 2023: Results from first US trial of Sonovein delivered
The 2023 annual meeting of the American Venous Forum (AVF; 22–25 February, San Antonio, USA) heard the final results from the first US trial of the emerging varicose vein treatment, Sonovein echotherapy (Theraclion), with data showing a 100% technical feasibility at three months—which was the principal study objective.
6. Venous stenting: “We need to evaluate use, appropriateness and clinical indication”
An analysis of venous stent usage trends in the USA from 2014 to 2021 showed a “significant increase” in stents per day placed over time, despite high-profile recalls of two dedicated venous stents from the market.
7. Cook Medical treats first patient in first-in-human clinical trial for venous valve
Cook Medical announced that the first patient has been treated in a clinical study to evaluate a new venous valve designed for treating chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The patient was treated by principal investigator Mauricio Alviar (Clinica de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia).
Researchers in Colombia behind the first-in-human study of a novel bioprosthetic venous valve designed to treat chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) reported three-year results among the eight remaining patients during the 2023 annual meeting of the American Venous Forum (AVF; 22–25 February, San Antonio, USA), providing attendees with updated data on improvements in venous reflux of 63%, revised venous clinical severity score (rVCSS) of 64%, and visual analogue scale (VAS) of 83% compared to pre-surgery levels.
9. STEVECO trial calls into question randomisation in the venous stenting field
Recruitment proved to be a major challenge for the STEVECO (Stent versus conservative treatment in patients with deep venous obstruction) randomised controlled trial (RCT), prompting discussion on how best to randomise patients in future trials, the ethics of doing so, and possible alternatives to RCTs.
10. Penumbra launches Lightning Flash mechanical thrombectomy system
Penumbra announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance and launch of its Lightning Flash mechanical thrombectomy system. “Lightning Flash features Penumbra’s novel Lightning intelligent aspiration technology, now with dual clot detection algorithms,” the company noted in a press release, adding that the system is designed to quickly remove large blood clots in the body, including venous thrombus and pulmonary emboli (PE).
