What's next in vascular surgery — October 28, 2026

This edition covers three milestones with confirmed dates between November 2026 and January 2027: the full presentation of Lp(a)HORIZON at the AHA Scientific Sessions, the VEITH symposium and the LINC course in Leipzig.

1. Lp(a)HORIZON: full results for pelacarsen

[Congress] [USA] [Confirmed date: November 7, 2026]
What it is: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial (NCT04023552), sponsored by Novartis, of pelacarsen, an antisense oligonucleotide against apo(a), in 8,323 patients with established cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke or clinically significant symptomatic peripheral artery disease) and Lp(a) ≥70 mg/dL; primary endpoint: cardiovascular death, nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke and urgent coronary revascularization requiring hospitalization. Novartis announced on September 4, 2026 that the primary endpoint was missed despite Lp(a) lowering; the primary results and extended analyses will be presented in a late-breaking science session on November 7 (AHA Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 6–9, 2026).
What problem it solves: elevated Lp(a) is a causal, inherited and common risk factor, and no drug is approved specifically to lower it; management focuses on intensive cardiovascular risk control and, in selected patients, may include lipoprotein apheresis, which lowers both Lp(a) and LDL cholesterol (according to the National Lipid Association, the FDA approved this indication in high-risk patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and documented coronary or peripheral artery disease whose Lp(a) remains ≥60 mg/dL and LDL cholesterol remains ≥100 mg/dL on maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy).
Critical take: with a negative primary endpoint in the overall population, any subgroup analysis (for example, in peripheral artery disease) will be hypothesis generating only; Novartis develops pelacarsen under license from Ionis; the other anti-Lp(a) agents still have to prove clinical benefit.

Sources

• [Official release] Novartis, September 4, 2026. https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-announces-lpahorizon-phase-iii-topline-results-pelacarsen-patients-elevated-lpa-and-established-cardiovascular-disease-cvd
• [Meeting] American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2026, late-breaking science announcement. https://sessions.hub.heart.org/home/article/22975212/scientificsessions26-latebreaking-science-announced
• [Registry] NCT04023552, ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04023552
• [Official release] Ionis Pharmaceuticals, September 4, 2026. https://ir.ionis.com/node/35106
• [Meeting] American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2026, official newsroom, November 6–9, 2026. https://newsroom.heart.org/events/scientific-sessions-2026-public-newsroom
• [Coverage] Radcliffe Cardiology, September 29, 2026. https://www.radcliffecardiology.com/news/aha-scientific-sessions-2026-late-breaking-trials-revealed
• [Article] Koschinsky ML, Bajaj A, Boffa MB, et al. "A focused update to the 2019 NLA scientific statement on use of lipoprotein(a) in clinical practice". J Clin Lipidol. 2024;18(3):e308-e319. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacl.2024.03.001. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38565461/
• [Official release] American Heart Association, October 7, 2024. https://professional.heart.org/en/science-news/lipoprotein-apheresis-utility-outcomes-and-implementation-in-clinical-practice

2. VEITHsymposium 2026: venous, pulmonary embolism and access programs

[Congress] [USA] [Confirmed date: November 17, 2026 to November 21, 2026]
What it is: the 53rd symposium on vascular and endovascular issues, techniques and horizons (New York), with two full days on superficial and deep venous disease, plus pulmonary embolism, hemodialysis access and multidisciplinary stroke prevention and treatment programs.
What problem it solves: the daily choice between thermal ablation, non-thermal techniques, deep venous recanalization and thrombectomy, areas with scarce randomized evidence and wide practice variation.
Critical take: the format favors expert opinion and debate over controlled data, with an industry exhibition; the official website does not mention late-breaking trials.

Sources

• [Meeting] VEITHsymposium 2026, official website, November 17–21, 2026. https://veithsymposium.org/
• [Meeting] VEITHsymposium 2026, general information (venue: New York Hilton Midtown). https://veithsymposium.org/general_info.php

3. LINC 2027: live peripheral endovascular therapy

[Congress] [Germany] [Confirmed date: January 26, 2027 to January 28, 2027]
What it is: the Leipzig Interventional Course, with more than 50 live case transmissions of arterial and venous interventions; it follows VIVA 2026 (Las Vegas, October 3–6) data on sirolimus-coated balloons (SELUTION4SFA), below-the-knee resorbable scaffolds (Esprit BTK, MOTIV) and intravascular lithotripsy.
What problem it solves: restenosis and limb loss in chronic limb-threatening ischemia; current care combines balloon angioplasty, paclitaxel-coated balloons, stents and bypass surgery.
Critical take: live cases are not evidence; part of the data presented at VIVA come from single-arm studies, registries or subgroup analyses, and device cost may limit uptake in resource-limited settings.

Sources

• [Meeting] LINC 2027, official website, January 26–28, 2027. https://hmpglobalevents.com/linc
• [Meeting] VIVA 2026, late-breaking clinical trial results release, October 14, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/late-breaking-clinical-trial-results-announced-at-viva-2026-302908752.html
• [Meeting] The VEINS and VIVA 2026, meeting announcement (October 3–6, 2026), August 24, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vascular-innovation-takes-center-stage-at-the-veins-and-viva-2026-302858397.html

*What's next in vascular surgery — October 28, 2026*

1. Lp(a)HORIZON (pelacarsen): full results at AHA on November 7, 2026; the primary endpoint was already announced as negative.
2. VEITHsymposium: November 17–21, 2026, with two days on venous disease, pulmonary embolism and access.
3. LINC 2027 (Leipzig): January 26–28, 2027, more than 50 live cases of arterial and venous interventions, following VIVA data on sirolimus balloons, resorbable scaffolds and lithotripsy.

Each item with its official source and a critical take.
Full text and audio: https://boletinesmedicos.com/en/vascular/2026-10-28-viene.html
MedBulletins · boletinesmedicos.com

What's next in vascular surgery — October 28, 2026

Three dates confirmed:
• November 7: full Lp(a)HORIZON results at AHA. The primary endpoint was negative; any subgroup analysis (for example, in peripheral artery disease) will only generate hypotheses.
• November 17–21: VEITHsymposium, with two days on venous disease, pulmonary embolism and hemodialysis access.
• January 26–28, 2027: LINC in Leipzig, with more than 50 live cases, following VIVA data on sirolimus balloons, resorbable scaffolds and lithotripsy.

Each item covers the clinical problem, current practice and a critical take.

Full text and audio: https://boletinesmedicos.com/en/vascular/2026-10-28-viene.html

#VascularSurgery #PeripheralArteryDisease #Lipoprotein #Endovascular #EvidenceBasedMedicine

What's next in vascular surgery: full Lp(a)HORIZON at AHA (Nov 7), VEITHsymposium (Nov 17–21) and LINC 2027 (Jan 26–28). Sources and critical take: https://boletinesmedicos.com/en/vascular/2026-10-28-viene.html