I am a big believer in early intervention.
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| Justine Cadet, News Editor |
However, TCT Co-Director, Dr. Gregg W. Stone, told Cardiovascular Business News that the results of the SYNTAX trial, which will be presented and fully analyzed at the conference, might provide insight into which patients should be more appropriately treated with bypass surgery, compared to stenting.
The TCT program will also tackle the controversial topic of conflicts of interests that can form between physicians and industry through several presentations and workshops. Along a similar vein, MedPAC reported this week that it is scheduled to vote on a series of recommendations at its November meeting that would place new requirements on disclosing financial relationships between drug manufacturers, devicemakers, physicians and other providers.
News from TCT has already begun to circulate as Philips and STERIS announced this week that they are collaborating to provide hybrid operating rooms for open and minimally invasive cardiovascular surgical procedures. The partnership will formally launch at the conference.
Outside of the interventional realm, the FDA approved the first heart pump that provides certain critically ill patients with temporary support for the right side of their heart. The CentriMag Right Ventricular Assist System will provide patients with much needed time until a more permanent treatment option is available, according to agency officials.
Please stay tuned for more upcoming news from TCT that will be rolled out from next Tuesday through Thursday with daily updates from conference.
Finally, thank you for viewing our webcast on the implementation of a cardiology PACS and cardiovascular information system (CVIS), which included live Q&A with clinical, administrative and IT leaders. For anyone who missed it last week, the webcast can still be accessed through our site.
On these topics, or any others, please feel free to contact me.
Justine Cadet, News Editor
jcadet@cardiovascularbusiness.com