Innovation Session: Valves, Stents, Thrombectomy and Research
Venous Valve Reconstruction Reaches Patients
After decades of failed attempts, the percutaneous Blue Leaf system and an open bioprosthetic monocusp valve both showed encouraging early results, with high technical success, no device related infections, and meaningful reductions in reflux, pain, and venous clinical severity scores.
Next-Generation Venous Stent Design Challenges
A device engineer traced venous stents from off-label arterial designs to purpose built devices, arguing that gaps in vein biomechanics, hemodynamic thresholds, and inconsistent outcome reporting still limit next generation stent design for iliofemoral obstruction.
Why Venous Thrombus Needs Different Devices
An Inari Medical executive explained that venous clot is often a thousand times larger than arterial clot, wall adherent, and rapidly converts to collagen, requiring large bore coring thrombectomy devices rather than the small aspiration tools built for acute arterial occlusion.
Setting Research Priorities for VTE
A multisociety scientific statement from ISTH, the American Heart Association, and AVF outlined venous thromboembolism research priorities spanning discovery science, imaging biomarkers, catheter therapy selection, electronic health record analytics, and public awareness campaigns.
