Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) is the first in the country to use the FreedomFlow® Orbital Atherectomy Platform to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the legs. Drs. Pradeep Nair, McCall Walker, and Craig Walker used the new technology on Oct. 19 at Terrebonne General Health. This system by Cardio Flow, Inc. was FDA-cleared in late September.
The FreedomFlow platform is designed with a modern mechanism to clear plaque blockages in the arteries of the legs. This proprietary, catheter-based design leverages the physics of angular momentum, creating a spiral geometry that puts five diamond-coated spheres in simultaneous contact with the vessel wall, whether advancing or retracting. A diamond-coated tip also helps ease the driveshaft through tight blockages.
This unique approach gives physicians a highly efficient, effective, and flexible way to treat complex PAD in a wide range of vessel diameters—from two mm in the ankle to eight mm in the hip—and greater versatility in treating multiple arteries and multiple blockages in the same vessel, all with a single device. The simplicity of the FreedomFlow platform also offers quick and simple device setup, no capital equipment, no lubricant, and reduced inventory needs. It also provides faster run times, consistent treatment outcomes, and a nearly flat learning curve for physicians, making it an ideal choice for today’s hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and office-based labs.
“Peripheral arterial blockages are extremely common, especially in our patients with heart disease,” explained Nair. “This new technology allows us to more effectively treat a wide range of blockages from the ankle to the hip to save limbs, and ultimately our patients’ lives and the quality of those lives.”