Shunmei ShockFast-P IVL Real-World Cases Take the Stage at CIRSE 2026 Prof. Konstantinos Donas Shares "Flawless Outcomes" in Calcified PAD
At CIRSE 2026, Prof. Konstantinos Donas, Head of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Asklepios Clinic Langen, Germany, presented multiple real-world cases of the ShockFast-P Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) System in severely calcified femoropopliteal lesions. Operators described the device as delivering smooth trackability, solid calcium modification, and flawless outcomes.
1. Live from CIRSE 2026: A Buzzing Booth, a Bold Theme
Taking place September 8–12, 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark, CIRSE 2026 (Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Society of Europe) is themed "Breaking Barriers – Expanding Care." In a main-stage session, Prof. Konstantinos Donas shared real-world cases treated with the Shunmei ShockFast-P IVL for calcified peripheral artery disease before an audience of thousands of interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons.
2. Real-World Cases: First Clinical Experience with ShockFast-P IVL
In routine clinical workflow, Prof. Donas's team applied ShockFast-P IVL as lesion preparation for severely calcified femoropopliteal (segment II) disease. After the guidewire crossed the lesion, IVL pulses were delivered with a 5.5 mm balloon at 4 atm, followed by nominal-pressure dilatation. Final angiography showed satisfactory lumen gain with no significant residual stenosis or flow-limiting dissection.
3. Immediate IVUS Evaluation: Effective Calcium Fracture
Intraprocedural IVUS is the gold standard for assessing IVL calcium fracture. In these cases, ShockFast-P IVL at 4–6 atm produced multiple fractures in deep medial calcium, with lumen area gain significantly superior to conventional high-pressure balloon angioplasty, and no vessel perforation or flow-limiting dissection was observed.
4. Operator Impression: Smooth Delivery, Full Expansion
In the initial cases, ShockFast-P IVL demonstrated outstanding "pushability" and "trackability", reaching the target smoothly even in long, heavily angulated, or occluded lesions. Balloon dilatation at 4 atm with 40 pulses achieved effective calcium modification and full low-pressure expansion.
5. The LEONIDAS Study:Midterm Outcomes Between IVL and Rotational Atherectomy
In a propensity-matched comparison against a historical atherectomy cohort, ShockFast IVL showed a shorter learning curve and superior procedural efficiency. Notably, the atherectomy cohort had shorter lesions (80 mm) than the IVL cohort (87 mm), so the difference in procedural time is not entirely attributable to the device itself; nonetheless, fluoroscopy time and total procedural time still reflect the simplicity of the ShockFast-P IVL clinical pathway.
| Parameter | ShockFast IVL (LEONIDAS cohort) | Rotational Atherectomy (historical cohort) |
|---|---|---|
| Lesion length | 87 mm | 80 mm |
| Fluoroscopy time | 5.98 min | 7.78 min |
| Procedure time | 70 min | 99 min |
6. A Buzzing Booth: Physicians Share, Colleagues Talk
Following Prof. Donas's main-stage presentation, the Shunmei booth remained busy throughout the congress. Several international operators who have used ShockFast-P IVL shared their own real-world cases in femoropopliteal, below-the-knee, and even TASC C/D long-occlusion lesions —
- Delivery — consistently praised; the 5F low-profile catheter tracks smoothly through heavily angulated and occluded segments;
- Calcium modification — robust, with multiple deep medial fractures visible on immediate IVUS;
- Outcomes — satisfactory, with no perforation, no flow-limiting dissection, and no bail-out stenting;
- DCB combination — seamless, providing an optimal lesion preparation for downstream drug delivery.
Prof. Donas concluded: "ShockFast-P IVL turns the management of calcified lesions from a fight into a conversation — it is one of the most exciting advances in peripheral intervention in recent years."
7. Conclusion
Real-world data from the CIRSE 2026 main stage reaffirm that ShockFast-P IVL delivers favorable safety and encouraging clinical outcomes in severely calcified femoropopliteal disease. Across Prof. Donas's team and multiple centers worldwide, ShockFast-P IVL has shown three consistent strengths —
✓ Great delivery — low-profile, excellent pushability and trackability;
✓ Great calcium modification — full low-pressure expansion with IVUS-visible fractures;
✓ Great outcomes — no perforation, no bail-out stenting, and satisfying clinical endpoints.
Together with the follow-up data of the prospective LEONIDAS study, ShockFast-P IVL is emerging as a powerful tool for calcified peripheral lesion preparation.
CIRSE 2026 · Copenhagen, Denmark · 8–12 September 2026
