‘Saving lives and saving limbs’: New study of real-world CMS patients highlights the benefits of IVUS
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is associated with positive long-term outcomes for patients undergoing arterial and peripheral vascular interventions, according to a new analysis of data from more than 700,000 patients.
The findings, presented at TCT 2021, come from an independent study of CMS patients conducted by the Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology. Philips, which has its own line of IVUS solutions, provided support for the organization’s analysis.
According to the study, IVUS helped peripheral artery disease patients 65 years old and older see a 32% reduction in major adverse limb events, including amputations. Also, chronic venous disease patients saw a 31% reduction in the risk of repeat interventions, hospitalization or death during iliofemoral venous stenting procedures.
Eric A. Secemsky, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a prepared statement that this new analysis highlights the long-term benefits of IVUS and “highlights a clear opportunity to improve health outcomes for millions of patients by broader and more routine implementation of the technology in clinical practice.”
“This is a moment for us to further our efforts in saving lives and saving limbs,” Secemsky added.
Secemsky also pointed to appropriate use guidelines for IVUS that he helped finalize in October 2021. Philips and Boston Scientific both supported the creation of those guidelines, bringing in a group of specialists from all over the world to establish a clinical consensus on the best use of IVUS.
“We are committed to supporting evidence-based medical guidelines in pursuit of better patient outcomes,” Chris Landon, senior vice president and general manager of image-guided therapy devices at Philips, said in the same statement. “We believe that the ability of IVUS to deliver procedure optimization and confidence enhances patient and staff experiences and lowers cost of care.”
More information on TCT 2021 is available here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.