This video is sponsored by Boston Scientific.
Nicolas Mouawad, MD, chief of vascular surgery at McLaren Health in Bay City, Michigan, discussed the growing challenge of treating peripheral artery disease (PAD) as an aging patient population presents with increasingly complex, heavily calcified lesions. He highlighted intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) as a valuable tool for modifying calcium while maintaining a strong safety profile.
Mouawad said the SEISMIQ IVL platform offers several advantages, including radiopacity, emitter selectivity and directionality, allowing physicians to target specific areas of calcium and tailor treatment to individual lesions. He emphasized that this level of control is particularly useful because calcific disease varies considerably between patients.
IVL, he added, can complement other endovascular therapies rather than serve as a standalone treatment. Calcium modification can help achieve luminal gain before drug-coated balloon therapy or scaffolding is used to improve durability. Combining these technologies, Mouawad said, gives physicians a comprehensive approach to complex PAD while supporting procedural efficiency, patency and wound healing.
