REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avinger, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGR), a leading developer of innovative treatments for peripheral artery disease (PAD), announced that its next generation Pantheris® Lumivascular atherectomy system was featured in a live case transmission at Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC) 2018 held from January 30th through February 2nd at the Trade Fair Leipzig, in Leipzig, Germany. LINC is a leading global forum for new methods in the field of vascular medicine that brings together medical professionals from around the world who perform endovascular interventions.
Yesterday Drs. Arne Schwindt and Stefan Stahlhoff, vascular surgeons from St. Franziskus Hospital in Münster, Germany, used the next generation Pantheris to perform a live endovascular procedure titled, “OCT-guided atherectomy of TASC D SFA occlusion and mid-popliteal stenosis.” The next generation Pantheris device is available in limited supply for commercial sale in the European Union; it is not available commercially in the United States at this time.
Dr. Schwindt, an experienced operator of Lumivascular technology, treated a 57 year-old male suffering from ischemic rest pain of the left foot due to extensive stenoses and occlusion of the superficial femoral artery and popliteal artery. During the case, more than 50 cm of diseased arteries were treated with the next generation Pantheris and an extensive amount of plaque burden was safely removed from the left leg arteries. The debulking treatment was followed by the use of drug-coated balloons, and swift inflow to the lower limb and foot was established. Further scaffolding of the treated arteries with stents was unnecessary after the successful combination of atherectomy with drug-coated balloons.
Commenting on the case, Dr. Arne Schwindt said, “Because of the young age of the patient a revascularization without the need of permanent implants was the aimed treatment strategy. The development of stents have been an important step in endovascular treatment of lower limb atherosclerotic disease. However, metallic implants can cause problems of their own over time and limit future treatment options in the case of disease recurrence.
“I am exceptionally happy with the results of the case, especially due to the challenging circumstances often associated with multi-level disease and long lesions. With the assistance of the next generation Pantheris system, we helped restore blood flow within the previously blocked segment of the artery and most importantly achieved a great outcome for the patient,” continued Dr. Schwindt. “The real-time intravascular imaging and enhanced design features on the next generation Pantheris allowed me to target only the occlusive tissue, leading to a safer and more effective intervention. Based on my early experiences with the device, the next-generation Pantheris represents a significant advance for the treatment of peripheral artery disease. I want to thank LINC and its organizers for giving me the opportunity to demonstrate this fascinating technology at this important platform.”
Atherectomy is a minimally invasive treatment for PAD in which a catheter-based device is used to remove plaque from a blood vessel. Lumivascular technology allows physicians, for the first time ever, to see from inside the artery during an atherectomy procedure by using an imaging modality called optical coherence tomography, or OCT, that is displayed on Avinger’s proprietary Lightbox console. Physicians performing atherectomy with other devices must rely solely on X-ray as well as tactile feedback to guide their interventions while treating complicated arterial disease. With the Lumivascular approach, physicians can more accurately navigate their devices and treat PAD lesions through real-time OCT images generated from inside the artery, and without exposing healthcare workers and patients to the negative effects of ionizing radiation.
About Avinger, Inc.
Avinger is a commercial-stage medical device company that designs and develops the first-ever image-guided, catheter-based system that diagnoses and treats patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Avinger is dedicated to radically changing the way vascular disease is treated through its Lumivascular platform, which currently consists of the Lightbox imaging console, the Ocelot family of chronic total occlusion (CTO) catheters, and the Pantheris® family of atherectomy devices. Avinger is based in Redwood City, CA. For more information, please visit www.avinger.com.
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Avinger, Inc.
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Avinger, Inc.
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