Other procedures are associated with higher profits—heart transplants, for instance—but CABG and TAVR are performed much more often.

A trio of leading voices in cardiology reviewed years of data while considering their proposal. The choice between TAVR and SAVR, they added, should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Benzodiazepines are administered before a majority of cardiac surgeries to lower the risk of intraoperative awareness. At the same time, however, recent studies have suggested they increase the risk of postoperative delirium.

A 54-year-old heart transplant recipient was unable to take doctor-prescribed medications during his brief stay at a local jail. He died a few days after being released. 

“It has the added advantage of avoiding oral anticoagulation drugs and the risks associated with lifelong anticoagulation," one researcher explained. "In fact, most of our patients are not on any cardiac medications following one year after surgery.”

Realheart celebrated the news, noting that multiple preclinical trials focused on the technology's safety and effectiveness are currently underway.

The recall was put in place after a customer discovered “visible black particulate matter” in a sealed vial. If the contaminant enters a patient's blood vessels, it could lead to serious complications, including a stroke or even death. 

Surgery offers multiple long-term benefits when compared to a more interventional approach, though it is still associated with certain risks of its own. In the end, researchers agree, the decision is one that should involve input from surgeons, cardiologists and others.