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.

Debbie Reynolds may have died of a broken heart

Top cardiologists agree that emotional stress can impede the heart’s function. 

Experimental transcatheter tricuspid stent implanted into patient at Cleveland Clinic

A new transcatheter tricuspid valved stent was successfully implanted into a patient at the Cleveland Clinic to treat tricuspid regurgitation, a disease grossing billions of dollars in treatments annually.

Bioresorbable stents make Cleveland Clinic’s Top 10 innovations for 2017

The Cleveland Clinic named bioresorbable stents as one of the top 10 medical innovations for 2017.

CMS approves facilities to perform carotid artery stenting for high-risk patients

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that three facilities had met its standards for performing carotid artery stenting for high-risk patients.

Females have higher one-year survival rate following TAVR

Females had a higher one-year survival rate following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) compared with males who underwent the same procedure, according to a national registry analysis.

Leading cardiologist to helm wearable sensor research in Ireland

Professor William Wijns, co-director of EuroPCR and chairman of PCR, has joined NUI Galway as a professor of medical devices. He will head the $5 million research project to develop wearable sensors for patients at high risk of heart attacks.

Statin use may reduce mortality risk, cardiac complications following noncardiac surgery

A retrospective, observational cohort study found that veterans who received statins on the day of and/or the day after noncardiac surgery had a lower 30-day all-cause mortality compared with those who did not receive statins. Statin use was also associated with a reduced risk of other complications, including cardiac arrest and MI.

Society of Thoracic Surgeons releases guidelines on surgical ablation in treatment of atrial fibrillation

New major recommendations for the use of surgical ablation in treating atrial fibrillation have been issued by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Dec. 19 in an effort to improve surgical outcomes and the quality of patient care.

Around the web

GE HealthCare said the price of iodine contrast increased by more than 200% between 2017 to 2023. Will new Chinese tariffs drive costs even higher?

Several key trends were evident at the Radiological Society of North America 2024 meeting, including new CT and MR technology and evolving adoption of artificial intelligence.