At VDF we focus our efforts on providing up-to-date information about the rapidly evolving cardiovascular device field. We focus on topics like device innovation but we also like to discuss corporate issues from the struggles of the small start up to the efforts of the industry behemoths hell bent on pleasing the street and providing shareholder value.
Occasionally, we like to profile some of the areas of medicine tangentially affected by cardiovascular innovation. Podiatry represents one of the niche areas. At my institution, our practice has always maintained a very close relationship with our Podiatrists. We maintain a woundcare facility and we encounter a lot of PAD, diabetic ulceration patients. Diligent wound care is a must to successfully treat this challenging patient group.
I recently posted on a new tool in the endovascular "tool box", The Diamondback Orbital Atherectomy system from CSI. The device was referred to as one of the "Top ten Innovations in Podiatric Care" recently. Foxhollow made a strong push to market directly to podiatrists in an effort to reach the first line of care for many PAD patients with the admonishment that all podiatrists should send their patients to a Silverhawk Atherectomy performing interventionalist. In many cases they were successful and for proceduralists using this technology, the assistance was welcome. They were quite successful in making the Silverhawk from Foxhollow one of the darlings of Podiatrists everywher. I dont know if CSI will take the same approach, but is was somewhat effective. I still get call from docs that ask, "are you silverhawking my patient" ?
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