A novel, polymer-free amphilius-eluting stent known as the “Cre8” was proven noninferior to the latest-generation permanent polymer drug-eluting stent in the first large-scale trial of its kind, according to research presented at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s 30th annual TCT conference in San Diego.

SAN DIEGO — The ultra-thin Orsiro drug-eluting stent (DES) maintained superior outcomes at two years of follow-up in a head-to-head trial against Abbott’s Xience stent, according to results presented this weekend at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics 2018 and published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The proportion of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) performed in nonagenarians has more than doubled in the last decade in the United States, offering a significant survival benefit for those deemed healthy enough for the procedure, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with an 11 percent increased risk of mortality compared to on-pump CABG, according to a registry study of cardiac surgeries performed in New Jersey from 2005 to 2011.

Women who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the U.S. from 2004 through 2014 were 20 percent more likely to die in the hospital and 81 percent more likely to experience major bleeding compared to men, according to an analysis published this month in PLOS One. Those differences remained after adjusting for preprocedural risk factors.

Half of patients who receive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals in the U.S. travel more than 48 miles for the procedure; a quarter travel at least 110 miles. Yet distance to the PCI site doesn’t significantly influence one-year outcomes, a recent study found.

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients have better odds of survival if emergency medical services (EMS) personnel alert the hospital where the patient will be arriving ahead of time, according to a study published Sept. 17 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

The FDA has approved the PK Papyrus covered coronary stent system to treat acute coronary artery perforations, device maker Biotronik announced Sept. 14. It is the first device to be approved by the FDA for this indication in 17 years.