The BioMimics 3D Helical Centreline Nitinol Stent in Chronic Limb Threatening Ischaemia and Complex Lesions: Three Year Outcomes of the MIMICS-3D Registry.

OBJECTIVE: There is a need for improved outcomes in the endovascular treatment of patients suffering from chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI), highly calcified lesions, and chronic total occlusions (CTOs). The helical centreline self expanding BioMimics 3D stent might be particularly useful in these high risk subsets, combining flexibility and fracture resistance with radial strength. Herein, the performance of the BioMimics 3D stent was assessed in these high risk subsets. METHODS: MIMICS-3D is a prospective, multicentre, European real world registry. This was a post hoc analysis, comparing patients with CLTI vs. intermittent claudication (IC), lesions with bilateral calcification vs. those without (peripheral arterial calcium scoring system [PACSS] 3,4 vs. PACSS 0 - 2), and CTO vs. no CTO. Propensity score matching was performed to reduce the impact of baseline variables. The 36 month endpoints were clinically driven target lesion revascularisation (CD-TLR), death, major target limb amputation, and stent patency. RESULTS: A total of 507 patients were enrolled. At 36 months, patients with CLTI had lower freedom from major amputation than patients with IC (92.6% vs. 100%, p < .001). In terms of primary patency, patients with CTO had lower patency rates than those without (63.9% vs. 77.8%, p = .003), but the difference reduced after propensity score matching (70.5% vs. 76.8%, p = .43). Primary patency was not impaired for patients with PACSS 3,4 or patients with CLTI. Freedom from CD-TLR was not significantly different among the groups and was 73.8% for CLTI vs. 78.9% for IC (p = .15), 77.6% for PACSS 3,4 vs. 78.7% for PACSS 0 - 2 (p = .55), and 75.6% for CTO vs. 81.0% for no CTO (p = .11). CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of the MIMICS-3D registry suggests that the BioMimics 3D stent is effective in the endovascular treatment of complex femoropopliteal lesions and in CLTI. Future randomised controlled trials should confirm its non-inferiority or superiority compared with existing alternatives.

Midterm Patency After Femoropopliteal Interventions: A Comparison of Standard and Interwoven Nitinol Stents and Drug-Coated Balloons in a Single-Center, Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

PURPOSE: To describe and compare primary patency rates in patients undergoing endovascular femoropopliteal interventions with standard or interwoven nitinol stents or drug-coated balloons. METHODS: A cohort of 1292 patients was treated for symptomatic femoropopliteal occlusive disease classified as Rutherford category ≥ 1 at a large vascular center between June 2006 and August 2013 using either standard nitinol stents (SNS; n=432), interwoven nitinol stents (INS; n=470), or drug-coated balloons (DCB; n=390). Primary patency rates were assessed by ultrasound or angiographic readings for over 3 years of follow-up. Propensity score-matched pairs were formed to compare each treatment with another using survival analysis. RESULTS: Survival curves of primary patency favored INS compared with SNS in 368 propensity score-matched pairs (p<0.001). Kaplan-Meier estimates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 86.6%, 76.4%, and 68.9%, respectively, in the INS group vs 60.5%, 46.1%, and 42.1%, respectively, in the SNS group. No significant difference (p=0.232) was seen for the comparison of SNS vs DCB in 284 matched pairs over long-term follow-up (primary patency estimates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 79.8%, 53.8%, and 32.9%, respectively, in the DCB group vs 60.5%, 44.8%, and 40.3%, respectively, in the SNS group). Survival curves of primary patency favored INS over DCB in 254 matched pairs (p<0.001). Kaplan-Meier estimates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 79.0%, 51.2%, and 30.1%, respectively, in the DCB group vs 89.0%, 76.9%, and 66.2%, respectively, in the INS group. CONCLUSION: Propensity score-based analysis of primary patency suggests profound differences in restenosis rates between various treatment modalities for femoropopliteal disease for over 3 years of follow-up.

SUMMIT registry: one-year outcomes after implantation of the EPIC self-expanding nitinol stent in the femoropopliteal segment.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the EPIC self-expanding nitinol stent in patients with femoropopliteal occlusive disease. METHODS: The prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized SUMMIT study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01336101) enrolled 100 patients (76 men; mean age 67.6 years) with symptomatic de novo femoropopliteal disease undergoing angioplasty and subsequent implantation of EPIC stents from April 2011 to October 2011. The mean lesion length was 69.5±40.5 mm; 29 of the lesions were total occlusions. Clinical examination and duplex sonography were prospectively performed after 6 and 12 months. The primary endpoint was in-stent restenosis as assessed by duplex ultrasound (peak systolic velocity ratio ≥2.5). Further outcome measures were patency rates, improvement in the Rutherford category and ankle-brachial index (ABI), as well as stent integrity based on plain radiography. RESULTS: A residual stenosis <30% was achieved in all procedures. The primary patency rates were 96.8% after 6 months and 85.1% at 1 year. The secondary patency rates were 97.9% and 91.2% at the same intervals. The 1-year binary >50% restenosis rate was 15.7%. Freedom from target lesion revascularization at 1 year was 92.3%. Between baseline and the 12-month follow-up, the mean ABI increased from 0.73 to 0.96, and the mean Rutherford category decreased from 2.9 to 1.0 (p<0.001 for both comparisons). Plain radiographs from 86 patients at the 12-month examination confirmed the absence of stent fractures. CONCLUSION: The outcome of the SUMMIT registry demonstrates that the EPIC self-expanding nitinol vascular stent is a safe and effective device for treating peripheral artery disease in the femoropopliteal segment.

Clinical investigation of the GORE drug-coated PTA balloon catheter for CE mark approval.

OBJECTIVES: Paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty has been established as the first-line therapy for femoropopliteal artery disease. The primary objectives of the study were to evaluate the performance and the safety of the GORE-DCB Catheter in the treatment of atherosclerotic femoropopliteal lesions in patients with peripheral artery disease for CE-Mark approval. METHODS: Prospective, single-arm, multicenter study with 24 months follow-up. The GORE-DCB Catheter consists of a drug-coated nylon (inner layer)/ePTFE (outer layer) composite balloon. The ePTFE layer is coated with paclitaxel (concentration: 3.5 µg/mm2) and the excipient stearic acid/tromethamine (tris). The primary endpoints were 6-month late lumen loss (LLL) and 30-day of freedom from Major Adverse Events (MAE). RESULTS: Fifty-two subjects were enrolled, 69% men, median age 69 (49-83) years. Acute device success was 100%, the 30-day MAE rate was zero. Study primary endpoint of LLL (-0.17 mm) showed significant superiority compared to the performance goal of uncoated PTA balloon catheters from literature. At 1 and 2 years, primary patency rates were 81.8% and 68.7%, respectively, and freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization rates was 87.9% and 83.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that the treatment of lesions in femoropopliteal arteries with the GORE-DCB Catheter is safe and effective.

A novel self-expanding interwoven nitinol stent for complex femoropopliteal lesions: 24-month results of the SUPERA SFA registry.

PURPOSE: To examine the efficacy and integrity of a novel interwoven self-expanding nitinol stent system for the treatment of complex femoropopliteal lesions in a "real world" medical practice. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 107 consecutive patients (77 men; mean age 68.9 years) with atherosclerotic femoropopliteal lesions (occlusions in 31%) who underwent implantation of 137 SUPERA stents. The patients were followed for up to 24 months by Doppler ultrasound examinations, radiography of the stent, and assessments of Rutherford-Becker class and ankle-brachial index (ABI). RESULTS: The mean implanted stent length was 111±50 mm (range 40-270). Procedure success (residual stenosis <30%) was achieved in 99% of procedures. The 6-, 12-, and 24-month cumulative primary patency rates (± standard error) were 93.1%±2.5%, 84.7%±3.6%, and 76.1%±4.5%, respectively, and the secondary patency rates were 99.0%±0.1%, 94.8%±0.2% and 91.9%±0.3%, respectively. Between baseline and 24 months, mean ABI increased from 0.68±0.14 to 0.87±0.10 and the mean Rutherford-Becker class decreased from 3.3±0.7 to 2.0±1.0 (p<0.0001 for both). Radiographs performed in 91 patients at a mean of 16.8±7.0 months found no stent fractures. CONCLUSION: Over a 2-year surveillance period, excellent durability without stent fractures was documented after implantation of the SUPERA stent in complex femoropopliteal lesions. In addition, significant improvements were observed in symptom classification and hemodynamics.

Drug-Coated Balloons for Complex Femoropopliteal Lesions: 2-Year Results of a Real-World Registry.

OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to investigate the efficacy of a drug-coated balloon (DCB) for treatment of complex femoropopliteal lesions. BACKGROUND: Superiority of DCBs compared with uncoated balloon angioplasty for femoropopliteal interventions has been demonstrated in randomized trials for short lesions. Their performance in complex lesions with higher restenosis rates is unclear. METHODS: Patency, target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate, clinical improvement, and safety endpoints of femoropopliteal lesions in 288 limbs (n = 260) treated with the In.Pact Pacific or Admiral DCB (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minnesota) were retrospectively analyzed for up to 2 years of follow-up. Predictors of restenosis were identified by logistic regression. RESULTS: Lesions were de novo in 51.7%, restenosis in 11.1%, and in-stent restenosis in 37.2%. Mean lesion length was 24.0 ± 10.2 cm, and 65.3% were occluded. Stent implantation was performed in 23.3%. Kaplan Meier estimates of primary patency were 79.2% and 53.7% for all lesions at 1 and 2 years, respectively, whereas freedom from TLR was 85.4% and 68.6%. Primary patency for in-stent restenosis treatment was 76.6% and 48.6%, and freedom from TLR was 83.0% and 58.7% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Rutherford category improved from a median 3.3 to 1.2 at 1 year, and to 1.1 at 2 years. Major amputation rate was 2.1% at 2 years. No adverse events were thought to be attributable to the coating of the balloon. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DCB are safe and effective in delaying rather than preventing restenosis in long, complex lesions and restenosis of the femoropopliteal tract. Further studies are recommended to confirm these results.

Treatment of complex atherosclerotic popliteal artery disease with a new self-expanding interwoven nitinol stent: 12-month results of the Leipzig SUPERA popliteal artery stent registry.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the efficacy and durability of a new interwoven self-expanding nitinol stent system in the treatment of complex popliteal artery lesions in unselected patients. BACKGROUND: The optimal endovascular treatment strategy for atherosclerotic popliteal artery disease is not known. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data gathered in 101 consecutive patients presenting with atherosclerotic, popliteal arterial disease, who underwent implantation of 125 stents. The patients were followed for 12 months by Doppler ultrasound examinations, stent roentgenograms, and estimation of Rutherford-Becker class (RBC) and ankle-brachial index (ABI). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 73.1 years, and 52.5% were men. Total occlusions were present in 48 patients (47.5%). The mean stent length was 84.3 ± 45.1 mm (range 40 to 240 mm). A <30% residual stenosis was achieved in 98.0% of procedures. The 6- and 12-month primary patency rates were 94.6 ± 2.3% and 87.7 ± 3.7%, respectively, and the secondary patency rates 97.9 ± 1.5% and 96.5 ± 2.0%, respectively. Between baseline and 12 months of follow-up, mean ABI increased from 0.58 ± 0.15 to 0.97 ± 0.18, and mean RBC decreased from 3.1 ± 0.9 to 1.4 ± 0.8 (p < 0.001 for both comparisons). Radiographs performed on 51 patients, at a mean of 15.2 months, confirmed the absence of stent fractures in 100% of examinations. CONCLUSIONS: Over a 12-month observation period, the patency rate and durability of SUPERA stents implanted for severe popliteal artery disease were high.