Noncoronary Stents for Hard-to-Reach Areas

New premounted, balloon-expandable stent systems are designed for use in hard-to-reach areas.

A biliary stent system for the treatment of biliary obstructions is designed to keep a patient's bile duct open, while a peripheral system is designed to treat peripheral vascular disease (PVD), a form of atherosclerosis in the noncoronary arteries and veins that progresses with the build-up of plaque in the inner lining of the blood vessels.

The biliary system has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while the peripheral system has received the CE Mark. The patented helical design of the systems is intended to aid delivery. The stent systems, called LifeStent SDS, were developed by Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (Irvine, CA, USA), which specializes in products and technologies to treat cardiovascular disease.

"The LifeStent's flexible design allows for easy delivery and a more natural curve and fit in the vessel after examination,” remarked Dr. Jos van den Berg, chairman of the department of radiology at St. Antonius Hospital (Nieuwegein, The Netherlands). "The radial strength of the stent was ideal in cases of ostial lesions, in places such as the proximal common iliac artery.”




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