In a candid, cross-continental exchange, vascular surgeons Robert Shahverdyan (Hamburg, Germany) and Ari Kramer (Spartanburg, USA) share their real-world experiences using the FLEX Vessel Prep™ (VP) system (VentureMed) in arteriovenous (AV) access interventions.
From their initial impressions of using the device to real-world clinical outcomes, the pair offer their views on what sets FLEX VP apart from other available treatment options.
FLEX VP uses a kinetic endovascular micro-incision creation (KEMIC™) technology, designed to create long, precise micro-incisions for controlled vessel preparation.
“What separated this device from others I had handled when approaching this sort of lesion…was immediately the tactile feedback I got,” says Kramer, adding that FLEX VP offered a sense of the lesion’s structure and what was unfolding during therapy.
“People think it’s a cutting balloon,” adds Shahverdyan, addressing a common misconception of the device, relaying that there is “no balloon and low pressure” applied using FLEX VP, something he describes as being very advantageous versus standard cutting or scoring balloons.
Kramer, who recently presented positive six-month outcomes from the FLEX FIRST AV registry, touches on the robust outcomes seen in the real-world study, and in particular highlights the strong performance seen with the device, with cephalic arch lesions—a historically challenging subset.
“If the data continue to shine brightly, then I think there should be stronger and stronger arguments to make way for this to become a standard of care, for certain,” says Kramer.
This video is sponsored by VentureMed.
