More than 100 incidents have been reported so far. The FDA is still evaluating this issue, but the agency wanted to raise awareness as quickly as possible.

Many PAD patients do not even know they have the disease until it is too late, leading to unnecessary amputations and increasing the risk of other adverse patient outcomes. Awareness is especially limited among Black and Hispanic adults, experts warn, creating an added sense of urgency when looking to accelerate patient education efforts.

"This research should be a call to health systems, policymakers and other stakeholders to make it easier for patients—especially the most vulnerable patients—to access PAD-specific care," one cardiologist explained. 

After the significant success of Shockwave Medical's IVL therapy to break up heavily calcified vessels without trauma, there are now several companies working on their own IVL devices. 

SCAI President James Hermiller, MD, recently outlined the key achievements for 2024, including creation of the first interventional cardiology match program, successful advocacy and efforts to increase women in the field.

Back in 2019, the FDA issued a warning about the use of paclitaxel-coated devices when treating peripheral artery disease. The agency took back that warning in 2023, but it appears to have made a significant impact on patient care. 

J.D. Corl, MD, shared his experience using two new IVL catheters from Shockwave Medical to treat patients with heavily calcified peripheral arteries. He considers both new devices a significant upgrade. 

Late-breaking data from the LIFE-BTK clinical trial showed that the Esprit BTK bioresorbable scaffold system offered better two-year outcomes than balloon angioplasty in severe peripheral artery disease (PAD) below the knee.