Increasing the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) when performing lower extremity revascularization procedures could limit complications and improve patient outcomes, according to new recommendations from several U.S. medical societies.
In February 2023, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) organized an interdisciplinary roundtable to discuss the challenges healthcare providers face when treating lower-extremity revascularization patients and how IVUS could potentially help. The American Vein and Lymphatic Society (AVLS), American Venous Forum (AVF), Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM) and Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) all co-sponsored the event.
The results from that roundtable were published Tuesday, Jan. 9, in the Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (JSCAI), Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology and Journal of Vascular Surgery—Vascular Insights.[1,2,3]
“Improvements in outcomes following peripheral vascular intervention have lagged compared to other endovascular treatments, such as percutaneous coronary intervention,” Eric A. Secemsky, MD, MSc, lead author of the writing group and an interventional cardiologist with Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center in Boston, said in a statement. “Both clinical experience and evidence support the greater use of peripheral IVUS to reduce adverse events and extend the patency of our lower extremity revascularization procedures. By gathering experts from different specialties, we aimed to foster collaboration and exchange ideas to improve patient care for peripheral IVUS.”
Roundtable attendees agreed that IVUS represents a key tool in the fight to improve outcomes for patients in need of peripheral vascular interventions. The groups called for more interdisciplinary collaborations “at all levels” to make sure this technology grows in utilization in the years ahead.
The groups also emphasized that IVUS needs to be formerly incorporated into more industry guidelines, which should help increase utilization, support reimbursement and improve access to the technology for trainees who want to improve.
“The insights gained from this roundtable will help shape future research, training, and clinical guidelines in the field of lower extremity revascularization,” Secemsky added. “By leveraging the power of IVUS, we can improve our ability to diagnose and treat patients, ultimately leading to better outcomes and quality of life.”
Click here to read the full findings from the roundtable in JSCAI.
Secemsky is an intravascular imaging evangelist and spoke with Cardiovascular Business at ACC.23 in the video interview and article Intravascular imaging-guided PCI boosts outcomes, but utilization remains low.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.