Dr. Michael Lichtenberg, MD, FESC, is the Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Angiology Department and Vascular Center at the Arnsberg Clinic in Arnsberg, Germany. He’s also the co-founder of the PEO app, a global hub for vascular education that connects specialists to on-demand training, live conferences, and research tools. Known across Europe for challenging the status quo in vascular care, Dr. Lichtenberg does exactly that in this episode. From Plain Old Balloon Angioplasty (POBA) to an oversaturation of tools like venous stents, Dr. Lichtenberg questions the clinical habits and outdated benchmarks that keep the field stuck.He explains why many interventions continue to fail long-term, even when short-term results seem promising, and makes the case for raising the bar in how we define success. We also discuss what’s often overlooked in vessel prep and the consequences of low clinical standards. 🎧 If you’ve ever been frustrated by how slowly things change in vascular care, this episode will help you understand why, and what to do about it. 00:00 Meet Dr. Michael Lichtenberg 03:05 Dr. Lichtenberg introduces himself and defines “angiologist” 15:15 Why he left cardiology: “Three vessels felt boring” 20:18 How a call in 2012 led to building the Arnsberg vascular center 27:00 How Arnsberg became a European research hub 30:16 Why newer tools haven’t solved the real problem 37:13 The clinical reality of POBA, and why it’s still everywhere 39:50 Why vessel prep matters and is often misunderstood 41:28 Why patency should guide everything 45:15 What younger physicians need to demand 46:05 Raising the bar for patient-centered vascular care 50:11 The PEO app: a new model for global vascular education 56:17 Free access to training, global reach, and vision for the future 💡 Who Should Listen This episode is for vascular specialists, interventional radiologists, medical innovators, and anyone serious about improving patient outcomes. It’s especially relevant for operators tired of doing things the way they’ve always been done, and ready to think differently. About Dr. Michael Lichtenberg Dr. Lichtenberg earned his medical degree from Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf and also studied at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas. An esteemed interventional angiologist with 20 years of experience in endovascular interventions, Dr. Lichtenberg was elected Managing Director of the German Society for Angiology in 2017, and served as its President from 2020 to 2022. His clinical interests include deep venous intervention, peripheral artery disease, peripheral thrombosis and atherosclerosis. In addition to his day-to-day work in interventional care, his main interest is the evaluation of new devices, techniques and procedures for intervention of peripheral artery disease. Dr. Lichtenberg has performed a series of studies in this area and conducted many clinical trials. He is the founder of several start-up companies and brands, like PEO, CLI-congress and the European MedTech Start up SharkTank. Connect with Dr. Lichtenberg 💼 LinkedIn: Dr. Michael Lichtenberg Follow Life of Flow 📲 Instagram: @LifeofFlowPodcast 👍 Facebook: Life of Flow Podcast 💼 LinkedIn: Life of Flow Podcast 🐦 X: @VascularPodcast If this episode made you think differently about the field, send it to someone who’s ready for change. And follow the show for more conversations like this.

Dr. Jaafer Golzar is an interventional cardiologist, endovascular specialist, and Director of Limb Salvage & Endovascular Intervention at Advocate Trinity Hospital. He’s seen more than his share of “no-option” cases, the patients everyone else gave up on. In this episode, he walks us through how deep vein arterialization with the LimFlow system is changing that. From patients headed for amputation to limbs now being saved without open surgery, Dr. Golzar explains why this procedure is forcing the field to re-evaluate what’s truly possible. We also talk about what slows adoption inside hospitals, why some physicians hesitate even when the outcomes are clear, and what he hopes the next generation of operators learns faster than he did. 🎧 If you’ve ever questioned whether the way we’ve always done it is still the best way, this conversation is for you. 00:00 Meet Dr. Jaafer Golzar 04:02 The CLI patients nobody wanted to touch 08:30 How LimFlow works and what it’s changing 14:18 Why some surgeons still hesitate 18:50 When bypass isn’t the answer... and why 22:41 What happens when you restore flow from the bottom 28:10 What adoption looks like inside a hospital 35:00 The hard part: challenging culture, not just technique 39:16 What keeps some doctors stuck in the old approach 43:45 The tension between clinical proof and institutional fear 49:20 What Dr. Golzar hopes younger physicians do differently 💡 Who Should Listen? This episode is for physicians, vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and anyone treating CLI. It’s especially for teams managing “no-option” patients or pushing for more patient-centered solutions. It’s also for innovators, educators, and clinical leaders who understand that moving a field forward means changing more than just the tools. About Dr. Jaafer Golzar Dr. Jaafer Golzar is an interventional cardiologist and endovascular specialist with Advocate Medical Group. He is Director of Limb Salvage & Endovascular Intervention at Advocate Trinity Hospital and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His expertise includes arterial and venous endovascular interventions and limb salvage. He has participated in numerous clinical trials, authored peer-reviewed publications, and presented his work globally. In 2014, he received the Pioneers in Performance – North America Award. He is a Fellow of the Society for Coronary Angiography and Interventions and of the American College of Cardiology. Connect with Dr. Jaafer Golzar 💼 LinkedIn: Jaafer Golzar MD FACC FSCAI 🌐 Advocate Medical Group: advocatehealth.com Follow Life of Flow 📲 Instagram: @LifeofFlowPodcast 👍 Facebook: Life of Flow Podcast 💼 LinkedIn: Life of Flow Podcast 🐦 X: @VascularPodcast 🔔 If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review to help us keep these stories flowing.