European Markets for Prosthetic Vascular Grafts

In Europe, the number of patients receiving prosthetic vascular grafts (devices used to bypass or replace segments of damaged or diseased blood vessels) is expected to increase for the foreseeable future due to a combination of factors including the aging of the population in the region, and the growing prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Prosthetic vascular grafts, which may be made of biological or synthetic materials, are used most often for aneurysm repair and peripheral vessel reconstruction; they also are used for vessel reconstruction in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients and to provide vascular access in hemodialysis patients.