INSIDE
APRIL/MAY 2018 Vol. 11, No. 2 VEINTHERAPYNEWS.COM
BTG outlines OPTALYSE PE at a year 8 Email vein questions to IVC panel 10 Sage Group says P.A.D. raging in Asia 12 Push for personal patient identifiers 22 War weary doc 3D prints stethoscopes 30
An ACP recognized resource for news and information for and about the phlebology community
Varithena is an elegant solution for C6 ulcer By Kenneth Otah, MD, MSc, FACC Patients with venous ulcers make up over up more than 70 percent of nonhealing ulcers. By the time these patients are referred to us, many have been suffering debilitating pain and lack of mobility for months – even years – as well as extreme frustration at the endless rounds of futile treatment they’ve endured. Other patients I see with challenging chronic venous disease have extensive varicose veins with tortuous venous anatomy in refluxing accessory veins or tributaries. Varithena from BTG International Group, a novel sclerosing agent, offers an effective therapeutic solution to treat these types of complex venous disease.
PAST METHODS
Before Varithena became available, physician-compounded foam (PCF) sclerotherapy and phlebectomy were the only options to treat extensive varicosities and tortuous segments not amenable to catheter-based ablation. Sclerotherapy was also used for varicosities below the knee to avoid the potential risk VARITHENA
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Before Patient had a C6 necrotic ulcer on his right foot (see inset) when he was first evaluated Nov. 23, 2016. He was treated with Varithena April 17, 2017, to ablate the pathologic varicosities surrounding the ulcer bed. This is his foot at a follow-up visit March 16, 2018.
‘WAKE-UP CALL’ Cleveland Clinic’s study shows CIED extraction injuries
Transverse section of a fibrous cuff dissected from around an extracted lead with evidence of transmural venous injury.
The first large study to characterize the histopathology of extracted leads from cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) shows that microscopic venous injuries during transvenous lead extraction (TLE) are common but may not be recognized clinically. “This was a wake-up call,” says Cleveland Clinic electrophysiologist Khaldoun G. Tarakji, MD, MPH and principal author
of the study, which was presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2017 and published simultaneously in Heart Rhythm. “Between 1.2 and 1.4 million CIEDs are implanted each year. These devices have saved thousands of lives and improved the quality of life for many more patients.
“However, with this increase in CIEDs, we have been encountering more cases where these devices and leads need to be removed, whether due to infection, lead malfunction or other indications. Extraction of these leads is usually performed percutaneously using CIED
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ACP adds new energy, approach to ’18 Nashville Annual Congress By Amanda Godwin The American College of Phlebology (ACP) is expanding the Annual Congress experience with new educational opportunities, cuttingedge science and research all centered around the latest in healthcare policy.
The annual event will offer something for all experience levels of venous, lymphatic and wound care providers and encourage creative problem-solving and a sense of community. The 32nd ACP Annual Congress will be held ACP
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