After concerns from panels and advisory committees, the FDA approved the Watchman left atrial appendage closure device (Boston Scientific) last March. A recent reimbursement decision will likely make the Watchman available to many more people.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final national coverage determination on Feb. 8 for percutaneous left atrial appendage closure for non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Led by strong sales of its Impella heart pump, Abiomed’s revenue for the fiscal third quarter of 2016 increased 38 percent to $85.8 million compared with the same time period in 2015.

St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia announced on Feb. 1 that it had had stopped conducting elective heart surgeries pending an internal review, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. 

Following up with patients at their homes soon after cardiac surgery and providing them with individualized care may help patients improve their health—and help hospitals save money at the same time.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) elected Joseph E. Bavaria, MD, as president on Jan. 25 during its annual meeting in Phoenix, Ariz.

A database analysis of published studies found that adults between 40 and 70 years old had similar survival rates whether they received mechanical or stented bioprosthetic valves for aortic valve replacement. Although mechanical valves were associated with fewer reoperations, bioprosthetic valves were associated with fewer thromboembolic events and major bleeding events.

For patients undergoing CABG, perioperative statin therapy may lead to improvements in systematic inflammatory response and reductions in the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation and perioperative mortality, according to a review of published literature. However, the use of statins was lower than the researchers expected.