Cath Lab

The cardiac catheterization laboratory is used for diagnostic angiograms and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Cath labs have also seen expanding use in recent years for transcatheter structural heart procedures. Some hospitals also share these labs with other subspecialties for catheter-based procedures in electrophysiology (EP), interventional radiology, peripheral artery disease (PAD), carotid and neuro interventional procedures and vascular surgery.

ACC President Hadley Wilson, MD, explained the impact of 4 key ESC 2023 IVUS and OCT intravascular imaging trials and wht thaey will l;ikely influence PCI guidelines. #ESC ESC23 #ESC2023 #ACC

Intravascular imaging for PCI gets a big boost from recent studies

ACC President Hadley Wilson, MD, explains the big impact four late-breaking studies on intravascular imaging may have on revising PCI guidelines.

October 16, 2023
SentiAR CommandEP system

Technology that creates interactive holograms of the heart cleared by FDA

SentiAR's CommandEP interface facilitates 3D models of the heart, made possible through augmented reality. 

October 16, 2023
High-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with an Impella heart pump is associated with better outcomes, including a significantly higher survival rate, than high-risk PCI with an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), according to new findings published in the American Journal of Cardiology. Impella Heart Pump Abiomed RECOVER IV RCT cardiogenic shock

FDA warns Abiomed about ‘significant violations’ related to its Impella heart pumps

The agency said Abiomed did not seek the necessary approvals for one Impella-related device and was slow to act on certain safety concerns. 

October 12, 2023
Gregg Stone, MD, discussing the value of IVUS and OCT over angiography along to guide PCI procedures and actually improve outcomes based on a 12,000 patient meta analysis presented at ESC 2023. #ESC #ESC23 #ESC2023

Intravascular imaging improves PCI outcomes in meta analysis

Gregg Stone, MD, discussing the value of IVUS and OCT over angiography to guide PCI procedures and actually improve outcomes based on a 12,000 patient meta analysis presented at ESC 2023.

October 5, 2023

Complex PCI among older patients linked to increased risk of death

“Given the dramatic difference in death risk for older adults receiving complex PCI, we suggest that such interventions in this exceptionally vulnerable population should be approached with additional caution," researchers wrote. 

October 3, 2023
American Heart Association and Joint Commission launch new Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification.

Death after TAVR: Heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest stand out as 2 leading causes

A majority of patient deaths within two years of TAVR can be linked to cardiovascular complications, according to new research published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. Can follow-up care be improved to combat this trend? 

September 29, 2023
Tablet projecting metaphorical medical hologram

Bivalirudin linked to key benefit over heparin for NSTEMI patients undergoing PCI

The two anticoagulants are associated with similar mortality rates. However, a new meta-analysis in Circulation may have cardiologists favoring bivalirudin over heparin. 

September 26, 2023
Video of Prof. Dr. Ralph Stephan von Bardeleben explaining the latest details from key tricuspid valve trials.

What new tricuspid valve data tell us about the future of patient care

What are the latest updates on treating tricuspid regurgitation? We spoke with a leading researcher at ESC Congress 2023 to find out. 

September 26, 2023

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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