WASHINGTON—The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) and the Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society (CCAS), today published recommendations for institutions and physicians diagnosing and treating pediatric patients in the catheterization laboratory. This first-of-its-kind document titled, “SCAI/CCAS/SPA Expert Consensus Statement for Anesthesia and Sedation Practice: Recommendations for Patients Undergoing Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures in the Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory,” is published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the official journal of SCAI.

Peripheral artery disease is under scrutiny as the number of endovascular interventions has soared. In a field where clinical evidence is sparse, experts are asking how the financial and societal costs of revascularization compare with amputating the problem and whether early detection and treatment could save lives, limbs and perhaps healthcare dollars.

A single-arm study found that all of the patients with moderate or severely calcified peripheral lesions who received the lithoplasty system achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of procedural success.

A team looking to increase efficiency in inventory management among VA medical centers has advice for healthcare facilities.

September 21, 2016 – SpringBoard Healthcare is now taking responses for its nationwide wage survey of nurses, technicians and specialists working in cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology and interventional radiology labs. Considered the gold standard of wage surveys for the industry, it is designed to gather comprehensive insight into the salaries and wages of employees in that sector. The results, based on data from thousands of participants, highlight salary and wage differences by job type, experience, facility type, credentials and state and region.

Medtronic announced new data, demonstrating safety and efficacy at three years in acute complicated Type B aortic dissection patients treated with the Valiant Captivia Thoracic Stent Graft System. Ali Azizzadeh, MD, FACS, University of Texas Health Science Center in Texas presented the new clinical data in a late-breaking trial session at Vascular Interventional Advances (VIVA) 2016.

Shockwave Medical, a pioneer in the treatment of calcified cardiovascular disease, today announced clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Lithoplasty System for the treatment of calcified plaque in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

A new noninvasive skin closure device is more efficient and effective than other models when used during heart surgery, according to findings in a new study.