Sizing a Specialist Procedure: Surveying 125 PVL Closure Operators
Real-world case volumes from 125 specialists across the US and Europe, including leaks from current devices left untreated.
A manufacturer wanted to understand the market for paravalvular leak (PVL) closure, where a gap forms around a replacement heart valve. It needed real case volumes, both treated and untreated, along with design needs, pricing and drivers of device choice.
Before the main survey, four to five qualitative interviews lasting 30 to 45 minutes were conducted to assess whether physicians understood the questions as intended.
The main phase was a 20-minute online survey of interventional cardiologists. The screener required:
More than two years of experience,
A minimum annual PVL closure volume: at least four in the US and six in Europe
A spread of academic, private, and community practice settings
The final sample was 125 interventional cardiologists: 61 in the US, from 25 states, and 64 across Europe's five largest markets.
Volume thresholds focused the sample on physicians who could confidently report center-level case numbers. That made the market sizing more reliable, including estimates of leaks that go untreated because current tools fall short.
The survey also covered defect sizes, delivery needs, materials, clinical endpoints, and pricing.
The result was a quantified view of a niche market, with clear data on design priorities and what would prompt operators to switch devices.
