The delayed healing of the coronary artery following physicians’ use of drug eluting stents (DES), which increases patients’ risks of developing thrombosis, is a top concern today of interventional cardiologists, according to the results of a survey announced at EuroPCR 2013 in Paris.

The Billings Gazette in Montana is keeping tabs on a $13.5 million expansion and renovation of surgical facilities at the Billings Clinic. The latest update includes a 3-D illustration of the cardiovascular operating room viewed from various angles.

Vincent L. Gott, MD, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins Heart & Vascular Institute in Baltimore, shares his experiences as a developer of the pacemaker in an interview with CNN. The feature is part of CNN’s “Life Works” series.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in the science of heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring, today announced that Thomas M. Abate, the company's chief financial officer, plans to retire later this year. Abate, who turns 60 in August, plans to remain CFO until his successor is in place. The company has retained Peter Crist of Crist/Kolder Associates to assist in the CFO search.

Hugh Calkins, MD, FHRS, CCDS, was named the president of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) during the 34th Annual Scientific Sessions, held in Denver last week.  Announced during the Presidents’ Reception on Friday, May 10th, Dr. Calkins now serves as the 35th president of HRS, making Anne M. Gillis, MD, FHRS, the immediate past president. Dr. Calkins is currently a Nicholas J. Fortuin Professor of Cardiology and Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.  

Richard Lifton, MD, PhD, chair of the genetics department at Yale University, and Jonathan R. Kaltman, MD, chief of the Heart Development and Structural Diseases Branch at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, discuss genetic causes of heart disease in a video.  Findings from the research team’s large-scale sequencing analysis of congenital heart disease were published online May 12 in Nature. 

The American Heart Association and Macy’s have awarded 16 scholarships of $2,500 each to increase culturally-sensitive, patient-centered care.

The New York Times published a feature article that detailed a research effort to unravel the genetic underpinnings of cardiovascular disease. Members of one family with a history of heart-related deaths have agreed to participate in the study.