Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

The Boston Scientific Acurate neo2,. Abbott Portico and the new Edwards Sapien X4 TAVR valves were hot topics of discussion at TCT 2022. #TVT #TVT22 #TVT2022

VIDEO: TAVR's long-term impact on patient care

One thing was clear at TVT 2022 in Chicago: TAVR's popularity over surgery is changing the way physicians think about patient care. 

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Links to all the late-breaking structural heart studies at TVT 2022

Here are links to more information for all the late-breaking presentations at the 2022 Transcatheter Valve Therapies (TVT) Structural Heart Summit.

A TAVR procedure being performed at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. These structural heart procedures require a team approach.

VIDEO: How to build a structural heart program

Charles Davidson, MD, clinical chief of cardiology and medical director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Northwestern University, explains what hospitals need to consider when starting a new structural heart program. 

. Plaque erosion detection by the proposed AI algorithm in four cases, with each column showing one case. From top to bottom are the original images, ground truth, and predicted plaque erosion by our proposed method respectively.

New AI model detects plaque erosion in arteries

Detecting plaque erosion can offer an early warning sign of restricted blood flow to the heart, which can cause heart attacks. 

The ASNC is one of several medical imaging societies asking Congress to repeal the appropriate use criteria (AUC) criteria mandate. They say it poses issues for clinicians and is becoming outdated by changes in CMS payment systems. The AUC requirements call for documentation using CVMS authorized software in order to show advanced imaging such as nuclear and CT is justified, or else Medicare payments might be withheld.

VIDEO: AMA will ask Congress to revise clinical decision support mandate for cardiac imaging

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) delegates to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates 2022 meeting Stephen Bloom, MD, and Nishant Shah, MD, explain a new AMA policy asking Congress to revise its clinician decision support mandate. 

The American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Delegates approved a policy calling on payers to reimburse for the drug regadenoson and not to employ payment policies that push for cardiologists to change the drug they use for pharmacologic stress for one that is considered less safe. The policy was adopted at the AMA 2022 meeting. #AMA #AMA175 #AMAmtg #ASNC

AMA supports reimbursement for pharmacologic stress agent regadenoson

The American Medical Association Board of Delegates approved a policy calling on payers to reimburse for the drug regadenoson and not to employ payment policies that push for cardiologists to change the drug they use for pharmacologic stress for one that is considered less safe.

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What peridevice leaks after LAAO mean for patient health

The study's authors reviewed data from more than 50,000 patients, presenting their findings in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

Resheathing heart valves during TAVR does not increase risk of complications

Researchers tracked both short- and long-term outcomes, sharing their findings in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

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