Raghu Kolluri (Columbus, USA) and John Kaufman (Portland, USA) talk to BLearning Venous about the highlights from The VEINS (Venous Endovascular INterventional Strategies) session at VIVA 2019 (Vascular InterVentional Advances; 4–7 November, Las Vegas, USA), as well as the subset analyses of the ATTRACT trial.
Kolluri champions the interest that venous disease is now receiving saying that it has been the “orphan vascular field for a long time”. He points out how the subset analyses in the ATTRACT study have been an “exciting” highlight since its results indicate the importance of minimising bleeding risks and improving clot extraction. Kaufman adds the results of the study have been very “gratifying” and show the benefits of early intervention to those with primarily iliofemoral disease.
The pair conclude by reflecting on current and new technologies in the field. They both note that thrombectomy devices are a “very attractive concept”, but shy away from calling them ‘game-changers’. Kaufman further states that physicians have a lot to learn about dedicated venous stents, to which Kolluri argues that increased competition will ultimately benefit patients.
