Medicare may have paid up to $105 million for questionable vascular procedures in 2023 alone, according to a new OIG report. No accusations have been made at this time, but the government thinks 139 different physicians deserve "further scrutiny."

A recent OIG report suggested vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists may be performing medically unnecessary procedures in office-based labs. Now, some of the leading medical societies from those fields have provided additional context. 

The issue at the heart of this recall has been linked to three patient deaths. 

Patients who exercise and take all prescribed medications, for instance, experience better outcomes than those who do not.

"Pulmonary embolism is fundamentally a cardiovascular disease, where restoration of hemodynamic stability, beyond simple clot removal, is the key determinant of patient recovery,” one researcher explained. 

The purchase price could end up being closer to $200 million if certain commercial milestones are met.

Stroke is still a leading cause of death all over the world. A new AI model showed early potential to anticipate such adverse outcomes up to a decade in advance, ensuring high-risk patients receive the care they need.

The ankle-brachial index, a noninvasive diagnostic test for peripheral artery disease, may provide even more value than clinicians previously realized. 

Stryker, one of the world’s largest medtech companies, has agreed to acquire a rising name in the field of intravascular lithotripsy.