Surmodics Pounce Thrombectomy System Successfully Treats SFA Occlusion in First Procedure

July 29, 2021—Surmodics, Inc. announced that the first patient was successfully treated with the company’s Pounce thrombectomy system. Eight additional cases have since been performed in the United States, with positive outcomes reported in each procedure.

According to the company, the first procedure was performed in June by J. Michael Bacharach, MD, vascular interventionalist/cardiologist at North Central Heart, a division of Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The patient, who presented with increasing pain in the left leg, was diagnosed with an occluded superficial femoral artery. Three passes of the Pounce device removed 30 cm of subacute thrombus, and blood flow was successfully restored.

“Despite the challenge presented by this particular case, I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” commented Dr. Bachrach in the Surmodics press release. “The device’s performance was really amazing. I was able to safely and effectively achieve a positive outcome for this patient with minimal blood loss and without the use of thrombolytics.”

Dr. Bachrach added, “I’m very excited about the results of this case. I’m a believer in the Pounce system!”

Surmodics announced FDA 510(k) clearance for the Pounce mechanical thrombectomy device in September 2020 for the nonsurgical removal of thrombi and emboli from the peripheral arterial vasculature.

The company stated that the Pounce thrombectomy system has three components: a 5-F basket delivery catheter, a basket wire assembly, and a trumpet assembly. After the basket wire assembly is delivered distal to the location of the thrombus, two nitinol self-expanding baskets are deployed to collect and entrain the clot into a trumpet-shaped nitinol wire mesh. With the clot entrained, the trumpet assembly is then collapsed into a 7-F guide sheath through which the clot is withdrawn and removed from the body.

Gary Ansel, MD, is the Founder and former Chief Medical Officer of Embolitech, from which Surmodics acquired the technology and intellectual property behind the Pounce thrombectomy system.

“I am delighted that the Surmodics team is providing peripheral interventionalists with this innovative tool for treating arterial thrombotic occlusions,” stated Dr. Ansel in the announcement. “I also congratulate the company on its continued efforts to advance therapies for patients dealing with arterial thrombosis and peripheral arterial disease while focusing on ease of use and efficiency for the physicians treating these patients.”