Ferdinand Hui, MD, discusses the endovascular treatment of cerebral venous disorders, a potentially vast and underpenetrated market, and current challenges and opportunities in this emerging field in an interview with SmartTRAK at the 2026 SNIS CV & CSF Disorders Summit.

In the market for neurovascular devices, cerebral venous disorders are an emerging but growing area of research, product development and neurointervention. To date, the neurovascular field has primarily focused on treating conditions that affect the arterial side of the brain. However, in the last decade, an increasing number of researchers and physicians have focused on identifying and treating venous causes of various disorders and have developed and rapidly adopted new venous procedures, including venous sinus stenting, for the treatment of pulsatile tinnitus, idiopathic intracranial hypertension and headaches, among other disorders.

While this is a relatively new frontier in neurovascular, the market for these disorders is potentially vast and underserved and there is growing interest among physicians and neurovascular companies in advancing research and innovation to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neuro-venous disorders. To learn more about the latest research and innovation in this emerging field,SmartTRAKspoke with Ferdinand Hui, MD, a well-known figure in neurointervention and a key opinion leader in the endovascular treatment of cerebral venous disorders, at the Fourth Annual Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s (SNIS) Cerebral Venous and CSF Disorders Summit held March 5-7, 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO.. Dr. Hui is the medical director of Neurointerventional Surgery at the Queen's Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, and a clinical professor of radiology at the University of Hawaii.

Listen to the interview below (30:11 min) to find out more, including current and emerging indications, the status of research and innovation, and challenges and opportunities ahead in the endovascular treatment of cerebral venous disorders. A link to download a full transcript of the interview is also provided below.

SmartTRAK highlights three neurointerventional trends to watch in 2026.

SmartTRAK highlights recent news, research and trends in the market for neurointerventional devices and what’s impacting the US Market for Mechanical Thrombectomy, which is projected to reach a 5-year CAGR of +8.0% according to SmartTRAK. In this comprehensive, downloadable article, three neurointerventional trends to watch in 2026 are discussed in detail. They are:

1. Shift to Precision Thrombectomy - In 2026, SmartTRAK anticipates slower growth to continue in the treatment of patients with distal and medium vessel occlusions (DMVO) following the publication of several randomized controlled trials in 2025 (DISTAL, ESCAPE-MeVO, DISCOUNT) that found ... (read more)

2. Greater Focus on Expanded Indications - Companies competing in the market for neurointervention have been working closely with physicians, conducting research and leveraging neurovascular devices for use in adjacent markets and other indications, including ... (read more) 

3. Momentum Builds in the Intrasaccular Flow Disruptor Segment - In 2025, Terumo marked the 15-year anniversary of its WEB Aneurysm Embolization System, maintaining its single-player US market dominance in the intrasaccular flow disruptor market. That same year, the neurovascular space saw a surge of clinical activity in the segment, with multiple devices entering or advancing through clinical trials, showcasing ... (read more) 

Click the button below to download the complete "Neurovascular Intervention: Trends to Watch in 2026" Market Outlook article by Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK Executive Editor, VP & GM of Neuro Therapies and Tracy Martellotta, Senior Analyst.

Throughout 2025, SmartTRAK empowered MedTech professionals to Be The Expert by providing timely, data-driven insights across key markets. From orthopedics and wound care to regenerative medicine and neurotherapy, our analysts delivered meaningful real-time analysis you could act on. Scroll down to see a dozen of SmartTRAK’s most impactful blog posts of 2025.

These blog posts are just a glimpse of the data we cover every day. Want to see the real-time analytics and deep-dive reports behind these headlines? Schedule a demo today to see how SmartTRAK can help you master your market in 2026.

1. The Future of “Skin Substitutes” - What’s the Alternative?
   SmartTRAK reviews possible alternatives to LCDs and CMS’ proposed payment model for Cellular, Acellular, and Matrix-like Products (CAMPs) commonly referred to by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as “skin substitutes” and the potential impact on the market.
   
   
2. Terumo Neuro: Aiming for #1 in Neurovascular 
   Carsten Schroeder, president and CEO of Terumo Neuro, discusses the company’s plans to capture share and become the market leader in neurovascular.
   
   
3. What's Next in Orthopedic Trauma? 
   SmartTRAK reviews the evolving trauma startup landscape in 2025, spotlighting five innovators, followed by a comparative chart mapping 19 emerging companies.
   
   
4. Impact of Final Physician Fee Schedule on US Skin Substitutes in 2026
   Wound GM Kris Flinn and Senior Analysts Elizabeth Anderson and Jay Merkel discuss the impact of the final physician fee schedule on US Skin Substitutes in 2026.
   
   
   
   

The North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) is once again bringing together the leading clinicians, researchers and manufacturers to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for the NANS 2026 Annual Meeting, to be held January 22-25.

SmartTRAK will be represented at NANS 2026 by Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK’s Executive Editor and VP & GM, Neuro Therapies, and Thom Clark, Sr Director, Enterprise Strategy & Solutions. If you would like to meet with us, please reach out to anne.staylor@smarttrak.com, or just click the button below.

To get you up to speed before the meeting, SmartTRAK has put together highlights of recent neuromodulation news. The following is just a small sampling of recent neuromodulation-related news and updates from around the world compiled, reviewed and posted in real-time every day by the expert analysts at SmartTRAK.

Market

• SmartTRAK estimates full-year US DBS Market revenues for 2025 will be up approximately +11% YoY, which is in line w/ SmartTRAK’s US DBS Market Overview projection of +10.8% YoY growth. SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard
• Based on SCS revenue YTD 2025, the US SCS Market is growing +2.9% YoY, which is in line w/ SmartTRAK’s original SCS Market Overview projection of +3.0% YoY growth. SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard
• Payer scrutiny and preauths will continue to place downward pressure on SCS, particularly because of CMS’ WISeR model set to launch 1/1/26. WISeR is piloting the preauth of SCS perm implants (NCD 160.7) for standard Medicare pts in 6 states. SmartTRAK Q325 Neuromodulation Recap
• GMED sees an opportunity to grow the NVRO business through surgeon conversion and competitive rep recruitment and views SCS as a continuum of spine care rather than as a standalone therapy. SmartTRAK Q325 Neuromodulation Market Recap
• A large unmet need exists in epilepsy, as one-third of patients (36%) do not benefit from drugs. This results in a global DRE prevalence of approximately 10MM people, w/ 1MM in the US, 2MM in Europe and 7MM in the ROW. LIVN 2025 Investor Day Presentation 
• Bioventus believes the acquisition of Nalu by BSX validates the potential of the PNS mkt. In the US, the PNS mkt is ~$200MM and is estimated to grow above 20% annually, exceeding $500MM by 2029. Bioventus Q325 Earnings Presentation  

Clinical/Regulatory/New Products

• NPCE announced it filed a FDA PMA-S application to expand the RNS System’s labeled indication to include pts w/ medication-resistant idiopathic generalized epilepsy w/ generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The PMA-S was supported by preliminary results of the NAUTILUS trial.
• The FDA approved BSX’ PMA supplement for the WaveWriter SCS MRI Safety Guidelines to add the MDT Specify SureScan MRI Leads to the list of compatible w/ the BSX M8 Adaptor and to label WaveWriter Alpha SCS Mixed System using MDT’s Specify SureScan leads as MRI scan eligible.

Raul Nogueira, MD, discusses the latest research and innovation in super-bore catheters for the treatment of AIS and the preliminary results from the MARRS pivotal trial in an interview with SmartTRAK.

In an interview with SmartTRAK, Raul Nogueira, MD, interventional and stroke neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh and chief of cerebrovascular medicine at the UPMC Stroke Institute, discusses the latest research and innovation in super-bore catheters for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), including preliminary results from the MARRS pivotal trial that he recently presented at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) 2025 Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN.

Dr. Nogueira highlights key results from the MARRS pivotal trial, which is evaluating Perfuze Medical’s Millipede super-bore 088 catheter, how the results compare to other super-bore pivotal trials and what factors contributed to MARRS’ high first-pass effect rate. 

Listen to the interview below (43:20 min) to learn more, including how Millipede performed in different parts of the brain and the status of research and innovation that is helping to drive growth in the US Market for Mechanical Thrombectomy. A link to download a full transcript of the interview is also provided below.

Interview by Timecode

00:06 Introduction, background about stroke thrombectomy and the evolution of technology and research in mechanical thrombectomy devices.

10:27 Discussion about the MARRS pivotal trial vs other trials and what contributed to the the high, first-pass effect rate.

18:44 Different studies use different definitions of first-pass effect and good reperfusion. Where does the MARRS study definition fit and compare to how other studies define good reperfusion?

21:47 Discussion about safety data for super-bore catheters vs the Millipede catheter, device designs and comparison to other types of thrombectomy devices.

Stewart Strong, Q’Apel Medical’s recently appointed CEO, discusses the company, his priorities and plans for growth in an interview with SmartTRAK at SNIS 2025 in Nashville, TN.

Stewart Strong, Q’Apel Medical’s recently appointed CEO, discusses the company, his priorities and plans for growth in an interview with SmartTRAK at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS) Annual Meeting held in Nashville, TN July 14-18, 2025. 

Strong says with recent challenges behind them, it’s the perfect time for him to join Q’Apel Medical. Given Q’Apel’s leadership position in balloon guide catheters, the full market launch of Zebra and the company’s pipeline leveraging its innovative laser-cut technology, he sees significant opportunity in the years ahead. To find out more, listen to the following video (21:12 min). A transcript of the interview is also provided below. 

SmartTRAK: Hi, everyone. Anne Staylor here with SmartTRAK. Today, I'm at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery meeting in Nashville, and I have the pleasure of talking with Stewart Strong, the new president and CEO of Q'Apel Medical. Stewart, thanks for talking with me today.

Stewart Strong: Thanks, Anne. Great to be here.

So you are really new to the company. They just announced July 1st that you were in this new role. So I think a lot of people, myself included, want to hear a little bit about you. So do you want to start by just talking about yourself?

SS: Sure. And you're right, four weeks into the role, but I've been really excited about not only the opportunity here at Q'Apel, but also with the space that we're in and the growth of the neurovascular space. So to give you a little bit of background on me, I've been in the medical device industry for over 25 years. I've spent time in spaces like interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and have really focused on areas where we can drive growth. That's one of the things I really enjoy is joining a company where we can drive exponential above-market growth and continue to add value to customers and to stakeholders through that growth.

I knew you're really experienced from what I had heard. So as you enter this new company, what are your priorities?

SS: I think what I saw in doing my own due diligence on Q'Apel is a company that has terrific innovation. When you think about innovation, you think about quality, you think about Q'Apel, and that's been validated here. I have had a chance to speak with a number of physicians that use our products. Everybody really looks at us as ...

Curious about where Q’Apel Medical is headed next? We sat down with CEO Stewart Strong for an exclusive interview conducted by Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK’s Executive Editor and VP & GM of Neuro Therapies. Click below to download the full transcript and get an inside look at Q’Apel’s future plans, innovations and strategic goals.

SmartTRAK is excited to attend the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery’s (SNIS) 22nd Annual Meeting & Fellows Course in Nashville, Tennessee, from July 14-18, 2025. Anne Staylor, VP/GM of Neuro Therapies, will cover the latest news at the conference and provide updates on key studies, trends, and technologies affecting the market for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke devices. 

Meanwhile, click the image below to watch Anne’s video update on the US Market for Mechanical Thrombectomy in 2025.