The first case with the 250 mm stent was performed by Drs. Sven Braunlich and Dierk Scheinert in Leipzig, Germany. Dr. Scheinert, head of the Department of Angiology at the University of Leipzig Heart Center and Park Hospital, is the principal investigator in NovoStent’s multi-center European study.

“It is exciting to be the first center to implant the world’s longest peripheral stent,” Dr Scheinert said. “The stent is more flexible than any other that I have used, which is critical because stents used to treat real world, long peripheral lesions have been shown to be more prone to fracture and restenosis.”
Dr. Thomas Zeller, the director of the Department of Vascular Medicine at the Heart Center in Bad Krozingen, Germany, also implanted the device and said, “I was impressed with the exact placement of such a long stent and the optimal clinical outcome for my patient.”

G. Ray Martin, PhD, president and CEO of NovoStent, said NovoStent has developed self-expanding stent technology to provide a range of vascular and non-vascular therapies. The treatment of femoropopliteal disease is the first vascular application of NovoStent’s technology.

“The ability to deliver an extremely long stent is just one of the unique aspects of our technology platform and will help facilitate the evolution of patient care relative to the treatment of longer lesions,” Martin said, “The 250 mm device is a natural extension of our clinical offering that has been used to treat more than 60 patients for which we are starting to receive exciting six-month follow up data.”

Dr. Hugo Londero, chief of Hemodynamics and Transcatheter Interventional Services at Sanatorio Allende in Cordoba, Argentina, was the first physician to implant NovoStent devices in the SFA as well as the popliteal artery. Physicians have previously avoided placing stents in the popliteal artery for fear of stent fractures.

The company’s stents employ a helical macrostructure to maximize flexibility, durability and radial strength in addition to a micro-cell structure that can be customized for different vascular and non-vascular anatomies to achieve optimal lumen coverage and prolapse control. NovoStent’s unique stent and integrated delivery system are designed to provide easy deployment and accurate delivery.

Approximately 12 million Americans are afflicted with peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD commonly causes blockages in the leg arteries, which can result in pain when walking or even resting. NovoStent is a pioneering medical device company that seeks to provide options for patients wishing to avoid surgery to treat their leg pain. VTN