Vascular Graft Solutions is hosting a symposium on the future of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) annual meeting (7–11 October, Vienna, Austria). The symposium—entitled “CABG: Back to the Future”—will take place at 12.45pm on Monday 9th October in PM Room 0.11/0.12 and will discusss the venous external support (VEST) device.
During the symposium, David Taggart (John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK), Günther Laufer (Medical University of Vienna, Austria), and Professor Carlo Di-Mario (University of Florence, Italy) will discuss their latest use of the VEST device. A press release reports that the device is a kink-resistant cobalt-chromium braided external stent applied on the outer surface of saphenous vein grafts when used in CABG.
The technology
According to the press release, VEST is an established solution that received CE mark approval in 2014 and that is now routinely used throughout the EU to improve outcomes in cardiac surgery. To date, the stent has been implanted in more than 900 patients across Europe. It is the only proven technology to mitigate vein graft disease five years after surgery. Furthermore, the press release states that the VEST is simple and intuitive to use, taking just one minute to implant—there is no need for cardiac surgeons to change their surgical routine or for patients to be on heart and lung machines any longer than necessary.
Taggart comments: “External stenting of vein grafts leads to a significant reduction in vein graft disease progression, much superior haemodynamic flow characteristics and increased perfect vein graft patency within a year of surgery. More importantly ongoing studies have now shown that perfect patency of vein grafts persists at five years with the external stent compared to vein grafts without the stent. This innovative new technology has the potential to become standard clinical practice and to significantly improve, even further, the excellent long term outcomes with CABG.”
In addition to the symposium, Rashmi Yadav (Royal Brompton, London, UK) will also be presenting on VEST during the focus session “Making vein grafts great again” (which is taking place on Sunday 8th October in Hall 1). He will be discussing “New technologies to reduce vein graft failure” at 9.30am.
Vascular Graft Solutions will be exhibiting on booth 8 in Hall X2, showcasing the VEST device and sneak previews of FRAME, a kink-resistant external cobalt-chrome braided external scaffold support, which is applied externally over the vein graft during peripheral bypass and reconstruction procedure, and VIOLA, a proximal anastomosis seal system for CABG surgery without aorta clamping.
