New Fortex PTA High Pressure Balloon Catheter to Maintain Access During Dialysis

Medtronic - medical technology – has announced the launch of the Fortex percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon catheter.

The Fortrex PTA balloon catheter utilizes a high pressure balloon to break up the blockages and open the vessels to help maintain arteriovenous (AV) access in the peripheral vascular system.

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"Being able to maintain AV access for patients receiving hemodialysis for renal disease and kidney failure is critical as it is a patient’s lifeline. In the past, other high pressure balloons could lose their shape, making it challenging to focus the pressure on the lesion that was blocking the AV access. The Fortrex PTA balloon’s rated burst pressure provides me with a predictable and efficient solution to crack the short, fibrous lesions to restore AV access," said Dr. Brian L. Dunfee, interventional radiologist, Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Fla.

The catheter can be used to maintain AV access in patients receiving hemodialysis for chronic kidney disease or end stage renal failure.

“In some cases, patients receiving hemodialysis will develop plaque blockages at the dialysis site, which can limit access. The Fortrex balloon’s material and design permit shape retention at rated burst pressure, ensuring focused pressure on the lesion for controlled, targeted and predictable treatment,” Dunfee added.

In addition, the balloon has been engineered with a low tip entry profile and robust, flexible shaft to enable tight tracking to the wire and successful navigation in tortuous vessels. The balloon material and wall thickness allows reliable balloon re-wrap and reinsertion. This, combined with its rapid deflation time, improves efficiency of the procedure.

"Medtronic’s growing PTA portfolio includes trusted, lesion specific solutions for peripheral vascular disease," said Brian Verrier, vice president and general manager of Peripheral Vascular, a business in Medtronic’s Aortic and Peripheral Vascular division.

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Source-Medindia

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