Dr. Gary Ansel focuses on wound healing in limb salvage

Asks for stiffer wires to improve below-the-knee interventions

Interviewed by Primacea at VIVA10, Dr. Gary Ansel addresses the challenges in crossing total occlusions in below-the-knee interventions

Transcript of Dr. Ansel's insights regarding challenges in limb salvage (slightly edited for readability)

"Many different pieces of equipment are being examined to improve success rates in below-the-knee operations or endovascular procedures. The most helpful would be better wires to get across total occlusions. Balloon technology has shown much progress; now, getting the rails there to deliver the devices is key. Having stiffer wires will allow us to have enough backup to cross heavily calcified lesions. Then, not only will the high volume clinicians have success, but everybody can have success going across long total occlusions.

"Wound healing is the best clinical measure of the success of below the knee interventions. Wounds are what make people lose their legs; they lead to amputations. We have to convince the Agency it's the most relevant clinical factor, because that's why we're really doing the intervention in the first place."