BD Launches TIPS Stent Graft for Personalized Portal Hypertension Treatment

Portal hypertension can cause serious complications, including internal bleeding and fluid buildup in the abdomen. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedures are used to manage variceal bleeding and refractory ascites, but procedural technique and device selection can vary depending on anatomy, disease progression, and treatment goals. This creates a need for tools that support precise deployment and patient-specific hemodynamic management. A newly launched TIPS stent graft now gives U.S. physicians greater control over deployment while allowing shunt size and length to be tailored to individual patient needs.

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) has commercially introduced the Liverty TIPS Stent Graft in the United States. The next-generation system is designed to give physicians greater flexibility in tailoring transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) therapy to individual hemodynamic needs. The product enters the U.S. market following established clinical and physician experience in Europe.

The system is designed to improve deployment accuracy and procedural control. It can be expanded from 6 to 10 mm in diameter to match patient-specific hemodynamics and is available in covered stent lengths ranging from 4 to 10 cm, which the company describes as the longest commercially available range for accommodating varied anatomies. A fully sheathed, tri-axial delivery system is intended to support precise placement and ease of use, with highly visible radiopaque markers and a marker band under fluoroscopy. The system also allows sheath-less tracking through the liver parenchyma.

TIPS is a minimally invasive procedure that creates a new pathway for hepatic blood flow to help reduce portal pressure. It is used to manage complications including variceal bleeding and refractory ascites, but treatment goals and anatomy can vary substantially between patients. The Liverty TIPS Stent Graft is designed to accommodate this variability through adjustable sizing and deployment features that support more individualized treatment.

The U.S. launch is supported by six-month interim results from the prospective, multicenter ARCH clinical study involving 177 patients. BD describes ARCH as the first and only Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study to include clinical data on small-diameter TIPS of 6 to 7 mm. With its commercial introduction, the device expands BD’s interventional portfolio and adds another treatment option for managing complications of portal hypertension.

“The Liverty TIPS Stent Graft was designed to give physicians more flexibility during TIPS procedures. By offering the longest length TIPs stent graft on the market and tailored shunt diameter sizing, the system helps physicians make real-time treatment decisions for patients with complications of portal hypertension,” said Rob Righi, vice president and general manager of the Vascular Platform, Peripheral Intervention at BD.