The world’s first bioconvertible IVC filter commercially offered in the USA (Sentry; from BTG) has been successfully implanted into the first patients outside of a clinical trial.
The Sentry filter is designed to provide protection from pulmonary embolism for the period of transient risk and then bioconvert to leave a patent, unobstructed IVC lumen, eliminating the need to retrieve and addressing the typical filter-related complications associated with conventional IVC filters, a press release reports.
Ayad K M Agha, Director of Interventional Radiology and an interventional radiologist at Cardiovascular Interventional Radiology Centers in Phoenix, USA, who performed the procedure on one of his patients, said: “Traditional IVC filters are sometimes associated with a variety of concerns. Placing the Sentry filter gives me confidence in reducing potential complications seen with conventional filters. Using the Sentry IVC filter only requires one visit which means my patient does not have to worry about coming back to make sure the filter is retrieved. This is better for the patient and their families and removes the risk of any complications that may arise on a follow up procedure”
The Sentry bioconvertible filter is supported by two years of data available through the SENTRY trial, recently presented on podium at the Vascular Interventional Advances conference (VIVA; 5–8 November, Las Vegas, USA) and demonstrated no instances of filter tilt, migration, embolization, fracture or IVC perforation through 24-months of imaging-intensive follow up.
“We are excited to see this novel filter now available for patients and are confident that it will make a real difference in the management of pulmonary embolization—much like what we have seen in our SENTRY trial data,” says John Sylvester, Chief Commercial Officer for BTG.
Its good