96. How This Carotid Stent Could Change Vascular Surgery Forever

In this episode, we sit down with Shane Gleason, Chief Commercial Officer at InspireMD, to talk about what it means to bring a new carotid stent to market at a time when treatment options are evolving. Shane shares how his two decades in the vascular space shaped the way he evaluates timing, team, and technology, and why those factors mattered when he decided to join InspireMD. He also walks through the details of their flexible open-celled nitinol stent with a finely woven PET mesh, explaining what it does, how it behaves, and why physicians have responded so strongly to it. The conversation moves from device design to clinical trials, commercial planning, and the changing landscape following CMS’s expanded coverage for carotid stenting.🎧 This episode goes inside the work behind developing and launching a new carotid stent, and how the right timing, the right team, and a device designed for lasting protection can shift practice.04:50 Why carotid procedures still make him sweat after hundreds of cases06:14 What lasting protection means and why post-procedure events matter07:01 Dual antiplatelet therapy and how the PET mesh behaves in the vessel07:33 Showing the stent on camera and explaining the woven PET mesh08:36 TCAR, transfemoral approaches, and what current trials are studying11:12 How Shane’s team is approaching commercialization in the U.S.12:22 Why the procedure attracts experienced reps and how they support cases14:17 Why physicians say they’ve “been waiting for this for 20 years”16:02 What it means to be the only company singularly focused on carotid disease💡 Who Should ListenThis episode is for vascular surgeons, neurointerventionalists, industry professionals supporting carotid interventions, and anyone following the current shift in carotid disease treatment and device innovation.About ShaneMr. Gleason has over 20 years of experience in the medical device industry, leading clinical and commercial operations in both public and privately held companies. Prior to joining InspireMD, he served as Vice President of Sales, Vascular Interventions at Surmodics, a medical device company focused on addressing unmet clinical needs in intravascular medicine. He began his medical device career with a variety of progressive leadership roles at Abbott Vascular, where he launched the second FDA-approved carotid stent system.Connect with Shane💼 LinkedIn: Shane Gleason🌐 InspireMD: inspiremd.com/team/shane-gleasonAbout InspireMD InspireMD is a global carotid-focused company dedicated to helping prevent stroke, save lives, and give physicians and patients the confidence to choose carotid stenting without compromise. Based in Miami, the company is leading an international effort to advance carotid artery intervention through thoughtful engineering and a commitment to innovation.With a focus on smarter design and strong clinical data, InspireMD aims to protect against carotid plaque prolapse and support physicians with a solution built for safety and clarity.CGuard® Prime, the company’s flagship product, is a next-generation carotid stent featuring a dual-layer design with a finely woven MicroNet™ mesh. It is the only FDA-approved mesh-covered carotid stent and was designed to offer a new layer of defense against the risk of plaque prolapse and embolization. In pivotal studies, CGuard Prime demonstrated the lowest independently adjudicated 30-day and 1-year major adverse event rates reported to date.Learn more about InspireMD🌐 Website: inspiremd.comFollow Life of Flow📲 Instagram: ⁠@LifeofFlowPodcast⁠👍 Facebook: ⁠Life of Flow Podcast⁠💼 LinkedIn: ⁠Life of Flow Podcast⁠🐦 X: ⁠@VascularPodcastIf this episode gave you a new perspective on carotid disease treatment, device innovation, or the future of carotid stenting, share it with a colleague who would value the conversation. And if you’ve been enjoying Life of Flow, leaving a short review helps more listeners find stories like this one.