Medtronic India unveils Pipeline Vantage Embolization Device with shield technology to treat Brain Aneurysms

Cerebral or brain aneurysm is a condition where there is a ballooning or weakening of the inside wall of an artery in brain. As a result of weakening, the artery bulges out and can burst or rupture due to the pressure of the blood flow. Rupture of an aneurysm causes profuse internal bleeding, strokes, and even death. Aneurysm flow diversion is a minimally invasive treatment in which a device known as a neurovascular stent placed in the parent blood vessel of a brain aneurysm may divert blood flow away from the aneurysm. Over time, blood flow into the aneurysm may slow down, eventually ceasing to enter the aneurysm altogether. As the body's natural healing process works with the flow diversion device, the blood vessel may heal, and the aneurysm may shrink.

Every year in India, around 76,000 to 200,000 cases of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are reported to have occurred. Since brain aneurysms are most prevalent between 35 and 60 years of age and about 40% of the ruptures are fatal, a great number of disability adjusted life years are lost. Advances in flow diversion over the last 10 years has helped to significantly reduce the rate of aneurysm rupture.

"Since 2013, we've been disrupting aneurysm treatment, advancing the practice and raising the standard of care in India. Medtronic is consistently committed to bringing innovative technologies to India to improve quality of life for patients and ease of doing procedure for surgeons. Our newest Pipeline Vantage Embolization Device comes with a one-of-its-kind warranty for device efficacy. With this, we hope to boost patient assurance on our offerings while encouraging flow diversion as a form of therapy for aneurysms," said Rahul Arora, Director of Neurosciences Therapies, Medtronic India.

"Medtronic is also introducing a first-of-its-kind warranty program called the PED Warranty Program. Through the warranty program, patients treated with Medtronic's Pipeline Embolization Device (Pipeline Flex Embolization Device with Shield Technology/ Pipeline Vantage with Shield Technology) will receive a warranty coverage," the company said in a release.

Flow diversion therapy has lesser chances of reestablishment of blood flow into the occluded aneurysm than other modalities with comparable acute morbidity and mortality rates. The Pipeline embolization device is the most studied flow diverter worldwide with a proven safety and efficacy profile.