Venous Stents are a New Technology

Our senior project is a venous stent designed to restore appropriate  iliac vein blood flow in individuals suffering from May Thurner’s Syndrome.

“Stenting has turned out to be the technique of choice for the treatment of femoro–ilio–caval obstructive lesions with low complication rates […] Some issues like optimal stent design… seem crucial and should be evaluated in future studies.” Endovascular Treatment Options for Chronic Venous Obstructions

Arterial stents are currently being used in veins. Because veins typically have larger diameters and weaker walls than arteries,  arterial stents are not ideal for use in veins. Venous stents, especially those to be used in the iliac vein, require a higher radial force  to maintain blood flow and resist compressive forces. 

“Currently, there is no commercially available stent designed specifically for use in the venous system.” Journal of Vascular Surgery January 2016

Our design aims to develop a stent with patency, radial force, flexibility, and size properties optimal for the iliac vein.