European Society for Vascular Surgery

Diabetic heel ulcers have a notorious reputation for being difficult to treat. There's nothing worse for a patient than having a chronic festering wound on their heel which makes weight bearing difficult if not impossible and is frequently associated with osteomyelitis and infection. Many of these patients often end up with a major limb amputation. In this episode we are joined by Dr Giacomo Clerici, diabetic foot specialist from Italy who tells us how he approaches this difficult problem. A must listen for all vascular professionals working with diabetic patients!

Prof. Christian Behrendt (head of the German research association) and Prof. Joy Roy
(Karolinska Institute) take us on a look back chronologically at the journey
Paclitaxel has taken us on, from the original mortality scare to landmark trials, we follow
the twists and turns of the evidence.
We ask if safety is only half the story and whether it makes sense to judge every
drug-coated balloon and stent as one big, paclitaxel-coated family, what the emerging
Limus technologies might bring to the table, and whether industry influence has helped
shape a debate in which the stakes are anything but theoretical.
Because ultimately, a beautiful angiogram is lovely. But if our patients aren't walking
further, living longer, or feeling better, what exactly are we celebrating?
Join us as we separate the signal from the noise and ask all the uncomfortable
questions at the heart of it all.
This episode is supported by Cook Medical
PAPERS MENTIONED
1. Katsanos et al. (2018) — Risk of Death Following Application of Paclitaxel-
Coated Balloons and Stents in the Femoropopliteal Artery of the Leg: A
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Read the paper — Journal of the American Heart Association
2. IMPERIAL trial (2018) — Gray et al. A polymer-coated, paclitaxel-eluting stent
(Eluvia) versus a polymer-free, paclitaxel-coated stent (Zilver PTX) for
endovascular femoropopliteal intervention: a randomised, non-inferiority trial.
Read the paper — The Lancet
3. Katsanos et al. (2026) — Dynamic Risk of Death following Application of
Paclitaxel Coated Devices in the Femoropopliteal Artery: A Contemporary Meta-
analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.
Read the paper — European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
4. SWEDEPAD 1 (2025) — Paclitaxel-coated versus uncoated devices for
infrainguinal endovascular revascularisation in chronic limb-threatening
ischaemia: a multicentre, participant-masked, registry-based, randomised
controlled trial.
Read the paper — The Lancet
5. SWEDEPAD 2 (2025) — Paclitaxel-coated versus uncoated devices for
infrainguinal endovascular revascularisation in patients with intermittent
claudication: a multicentre, participant-masked, registry-based, randomised
controlled trial.
Read the paper — The Lancet
6. REALDES — 3-year outcomes (2025) — Shibata et al. Comparative Analysis of
Three Year Results of Two Paclitaxel Related Stents for the Management of
Femoropopliteal Disease in a Real World Setting.
Read the paper — European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
7. REALDES — 1-year outcomes — Shibata et al. One Year Outcomes of Zilver
PTX Versus Eluvia for Femoropopliteal Disease in Real-World Practice:
REALDES Study.
Read the paper — Journal of Endovascular Therapy
8. Behrendt et al. (2020) — Long Term Survival after Femoropopliteal Artery
Revascularisation with Paclitaxel Coated Devices: A Propensity Score Matched Cohort
Analysis. A large German health-insurance database study comparing long-term
outcomes after paclitaxel-coated and uncoated devices.
9.Read the paper — European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
10. Nordanstig et al. (2026) — Editor's Choice – Focused Update on Paclitaxel Coated
Technologies, from the 2024 ESVS Guidelines
on the Management of Asymptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease and Intermittent
Claudication. The updated recommendations reconsider the role of paclitaxel-coated
devices in intermittent claudication in light of SWEDEPAD 2 and the emerging evidence
on clinical benefit and long-term safety.
Read the paper — European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

Three trials walk into an aorta and ask what the house recommends. The bartender shrugs: “Sorry, we’re randomising tonight.”
Three trials. Three leading investigators. One of the biggest unresolved questions in aortic surgery: should patients with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection undergo thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), or is best medical therapy the better strategy?
In this episode of the ESVS Podcast, Safa Riahi brings together Professor Jacob Budtz-Lilly (SUNDAY), Professor Firas Mussa (IMPROVE-AD) and Professor Colin Bicknell (EARNEST), for an in-depth roundtable exploring the rationale, design, and challenges behind three major randomised controlled trials. From differences in patient selection and timing of intervention to aortic remodelling, procedural safety, long-term outcomes, and cost-effectiveness, we examine what each trial hopes to establish and why their results could reshape the management of uncomplicated type B aortic dissection.
We also discuss the meaning of “uncomplicated,” the limitations of our current evidence, the importance of best medical therapy, and the challenge of communicating genuine clinical uncertainty to patients. Will these trials finally help us identify who benefits from early TEVAR, when to intervene, and whether improved aortic remodelling translates into better outcomes for patients?
Three trials walk into an aorta. The answers, for now, remain anything but straightforward.
With: Professor Firas Mussa, Professor Colin Bicknell, and Professor Jacob Budtz-Lilly.
Trials discussed:
IMPROVE-AD: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06087029
EARNEST: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN30838068
SUNDAY: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05215587

In this special episode of the ESVS Podcast, we sit down with Professor Kak Khee Yeung as she begins her term as President of the European Society for Vascular Surgery.
Professor Yeung talks openly about her journey as a vascular surgeon and researcher, her passion for aneurysm biology and personalised vascular care, and the curiosity that has driven her throughout her career. From her Chinese heritage and the calligraphy featured in her inaugural lecture to artificial intelligence, teamwork and the future of vascular surgery, the conversation goes beyond the CV to explore the person behind the surgeon and scientist.
Professor Yeung also shares her thoughts on leadership, diversity, the next generation of vascular surgeons and her ambitions for the ESVS. Her passion for vascular surgery is contagious, and this conversation offers a personal glimpse into the ideas and energy she brings to her presidency.
Links:
Inaugural lecture: https://pure.amsterdamumc.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/143254652/oratie_final_KKY.pdf

Recorded live from Belgrade at the ESVS course on complex aortic surgery.
In this episode, Joanna Halman is joined by Professors Marko Dragaš, Igor Končar and Nikola Ilić for a practical discussion on complex aortic surgery.
They discuss how to choose between open and endovascular repair, whether aortic surgery should become further subspecialised, and their approaches to aortic clamping, visceral perfusion and organ protection during open repair.
At the end of the episode, special guest Professor Germano Melissano joins the discussion to share his perspective on training and education in complex aortic surgery.