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.

The EuroPCR 2024 meeting May 14-17 in Paris included four days of late-breaking interventional cardiology science presentations featured 12,100 participants, more than 550 educational sessions and 12 live cases. Photo courtesy of EuroPCR

5 takeaways from late-breaking studies at EuroPCR

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions offers its top five key takeaways from the EuroPCR 2024 meeting last week.

Medicare money payment physician

Hospital to pay $24.3M over TAVR allegations

According to a whistleblower, Cape Cod Hospital performed hundreds of TAVR procedures without following specific government requirements.

Meril Life Sciences, an India-based medical device company founded in 2006, developed the Myval TAVR valve

Myval TAVR valve noninferior to similar devices from Medtronic, Edwards after 30 days

The balloon-expandable valve is already approved for use in India and Europe. New data presented at EuroPCR 2024 in Paris compared it to contemporary devices seen by many as the gold standard for TAVR care. 

cardiologist viewing heart data

Cardiologists examine how residual TR after transcatheter tricuspid valve repair impacts survival

Researchers tracked data from more than 600 patients, noting that heart teams may want to reconsider how they classify residual TR after treatment. 

Atraverse Medical Hotwire radiofrequency (RF) guidewire

Medical device startup gains FDA clearance for new RF guidewire, raises $12.5M

Atraverse Medical, a San Diego-based medical device company founded in 2022, designed the guidewire to give physicians as much freedom as possible while treating heart patients. 

4C Medical Technologies AltaValve

FDA grants breakthrough device designation to new TMVR device from 4C Medical

The supra-annular AltaValve System was designed to treat both primary and secondary mitral regurgitation. It is implanted via transseptal access and positioned above the native mitral valve.

Cardiologist Heart Doctor Tablet Technology

TAVR, SAVR linked to comparable long-term outcomes, new meta-analysis confirms

Researchers tracked data from more than 7,500 patients, sharing their findings at EuroPCR 2024 in Paris and in JSCAI.

AI-based CAD assessments dramatically improve vascular surgery outcomes

PAD patients evaluated with HeartFlow's noninvasive FFRCT Analysis technology prior to surgery experienced much better outcomes, including a 63% lower risk of all-cause mortality after five years. 

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.