Interventional Cardiology

This cardiac subspecialty uses minimally invasive, catheter-based technologies in a cath lab to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease (CAD). The main focus in on percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) to revascularize patients with CAD that is causing blockages resulting in ischemia or myocardial infarction. PCI mainly consists of angioplasty and implanting stents. Interventional cardiology has greatly expanded in scope over recent years to include a number of transcatheter structural heart interventions.

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The War on Cardiogenic Shock Gains a New Sense of Urgency

To conquer STEMI’s “last frontier,” cardiologists are tapping into an evolving arsenal of strategies while calling for more data and standardized definitions to guide treating physicians.

Post-PCI changes in FFR predict outcomes, symptomatic improvement

Tracking patients’ changes in fractional flow reserve (FFR) from before to after a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may provide useful information, according to new research published in JAMA Cardiology. Individuals with the greatest change in FFR were less likely to experience vessel-related events and demonstrated greater symptomatic relief.

Transradial approach limits PCI complications in oldest patients

The older patients get, the higher their risk of death or bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). But a new study from a Japanese PCI registry suggests a transradial approach can prevent some of those complications, particularly in nonagenarians.

Overlapping surgery is safe—except in high-risk and CABG patients

Overlapping surgery—in which a surgeon moves from one procedure to the next before the first is finished, leaving junior surgeons and trainees to wrap up the noncritical portions of the surgery—isn’t associated with increased mortality or post-op complications in most cases. But, according to a study published in JAMA Feb. 26, it can raise the risk of adverse events in high-risk patients and those undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

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FDA OKs Resolute stents for treatment of chronic total occlusion

Two of Medtronic’s drug-eluting stents (DES)—the Resolute Onyx and the Resolute Integrity—have been granted FDA approval to treat coronary artery disease patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO), the company announced Feb. 26.

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Women see worse outcomes after thoracic aortic surgery

Women see worse outcomes than men after thoracic aortic surgery requiring hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA), researchers reported in the Feb. 26 edition of Circulation.

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Ultra-thin Orsiro stent gains FDA approval

The ultra-thin Orsiro drug-eluting stent (DES) has received FDA approval and is now commercially available in the United States, device manufacturer Biotronik announced Feb. 22.

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Acetaminophen could minimize risk of delirium after heart surgery

Individuals undergoing cardiac surgery might benefit from a pre-scheduled postoperative cocktail of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen and either propofol or dexmedetomidine, according to Harvard researchers who found the common painkiller could reduce in-hospital delirium in older patients.

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