Drug-eluting stents (DES) would not be used if they did not benefit patients. To that end, vendors conduct clinical studies to show that their product is equal to or better than a previous-generation product or a current competitor’s product.

In recent months, at least three non-hospital outpatient cath labs performed their last cardiac catheterization procedures. Faced with rising costs and looming reimbursement cuts, these physician-driven independent outpatient facilities made the difficult decision to close their doors for good.

Planning and creating the best cath lab for your facility and market requires a wide range of considerations, from current and future business patterns to space design to workflow and communication concerns. A good plan that includes input from all the relevant stakeholders goes a long way toward a successful long-term venture.

Cardiovascular Business invited representatives from the four major stent manufacturers to discuss the challenges and future outlook for drug-eluting stents (DES).

As multifunctional cardiac catheterization labs see new cardiovascular products constantly arriving and old ones getting pushed to the back shelves, administrators need a well-organized storage space, as well as a sophisticated method for integrated inventory management to control costs and revenue.

The persistent discrepancy between the door-to-balloon times of on-hours versus off-hours in STEMI patients undergoing PCI procedures can be solved through cost-effective means; however, some argue that an expensive and complex pre-activation program is needed to bring off-hour times in line with those of on-hours.

Cardiac cath labs operate in an increasingly challenging environment, contending with a variety of clinical, demographic, regulatory and competitive factors.

The utilization of drug-eluting stents may be poised for a comeback based on recent clinical studies that found they have value despite some risks. Industry analysts, however, suggest that there their usage has plateaued and they can not maintain their initial groundbreaking sales.