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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Did guidelines affect post-stent surgical outcomes?

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released guidelines in 2007 advising physicians to delay surgery following a cardiac stent placement. But, did they help reduce major adverse cardiac events (MACE) following these secondary surgeries? 

Early ticagrelor treatment safe but it doesn’t improve reperfusion

Administering an antiplatelet agent to patients with STEMI in an ambulance was safe but was no more effective at improving coronary reperfusion than treatment in the hospital, based on results from the ATLANTIC trial. Early administration may prevent stent thrombosis, though.

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Biodegradable stent matches gold standard for safety, efficacy

A next-generation biodegradable drug-eluting stent proved noninferior to the standard of care in a randomized clinical trial that imposed minimal exclusion criteria, according to results published online Sept. 1 in The Lancet and simultaneously presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Barcelona.

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CABG Readmissions: Not Your Garden Variety Measure

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will kick off its second round of Medicare penalties for 30-day readmissions soon, this time with CABG in its crosshairs.

FAME 2, Act 2: FFR-guided PCI keeps its lead at 2 years

PCI guided by fractional flow reserve (FFR) in patients with stable coronary artery disease who were treated with second-generation drug-eluting stents and medical therapy reduced the need for urgent revascularization compared with medical therapy alone, according to two-year results from FAME 2.

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Colchicine provides no sweeping benefit after cardiac surgery

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery had mixed results when using colchicine to reduce the incidence of postpericardiotomy syndrome, postoperative atrial fibrillation or postoperative pericardial or plural effusion, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in JAMA.

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Trial patients may not reflect larger MI population

Participants enrolled in cardiovascular clinical trials may be a poor representation of patients with MI, according to an analysis published Aug. 27 in JAMA. Researchers found enrollees generally to be healthier, younger and have a better prognosis than eligible nonparticipants.

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Hello? Operator? Cardiologists’ communication styles may confuse PCI patients

Joint PCI decision-making may be a best practice, but it appears physicians aren’t encouraging it through their communication styles, according to a paper published online Aug. 25 in JAMA: Internal Medicine.

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