Features

New Data Underscore Importance of Looking for HCM Before Scheduling TAVR

Reported in 2018 by anesthesiologists at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, the case suggested a message to TAVR operators: “Vigilance and a high degree of suspicion” are critical for avoiding the potentially severe hemodynamic consequences of HCM associated with aortic stenosis, the authors asserted (J Med Case Rep 2018;18;12[1]:372).

Board Certification Brouhaha: Rads Cry Foul Over ABR’s Ways and Means

At the American College of Radiology’s 2019 meeting last May, speaker after speaker stepped up to the open microphone in the ballroom of a Washington, D.C., hotel to vent their displeasure with the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and its maintenance of certification (MOC) program.

COVID or Not, Big Money is Buying Radiology Practices. Should Yours Be Selling?

Ahead of print in Radiology Business Journal: As private medical practices continue feeling the squeeze of consolidation across U.S. healthcare, many radiology groups are considering acquisition offers from physician practice management companies (PPMCs).

Seeing the Future–in 3D: New CPT Codes Set the Stage for Expanding 3D Printing in Cardiology

Until recently, cardiologists’ eyes tended to glaze over at the mention of using 3D printing in their practices. Most believed the costs would be too high for routine use, that the applications and the price tag were better suited to academic applications.

Data Dilemma: Taming Healthcare’s Beautiful Beast

To get the operational perspective, CVB hosted a roundtable discussion with service line leaders about the opportunities and challenges they encounter around data.

90 Days a Dyad (or Triad): Strategies for Success & Errors to Avoid in the Crucial Early Days of Partnership

Experienced dyad and triad partners share tips for setting the stage for success and putting the brakes on mistakes.

New Take on Transplant: Reconsidering Hepatitis C-infected Hearts for Donation

As many as 700 hearts from donors with hepatitis C are discarded each year in the U.S. New research suggests at least some of these organs may be suitable for transplant.

Pop Goes the Pillbox: Will Polypharmacy Problems Limit the Adoption of SGLT2 Inhibitors?

Following data supporting their use for heart failure and type 2 diabetes, will sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors find a spot in the heart failure armamentarium?

Signed, Sealed and Soon to be Delivered

Consolidation has become the name of the game for many private radiology practices, but not everyone wants in. Many unaffiliated groups still prefer the independent side of the playing field, defending their turf by contracting to provide imaging services to hospitals and health systems.

Women Radiologists Find Their Voice and Make It Heard

The lopsided male-to-female ratio among radiologists and radiology residents—around three men for every one woman—has remained stubbornly constant despite years-long efforts to narrow the gap. This reality is reinforced each time the American College of Radiology conducts its annual workforce survey.

Stop the Bleeding: Hemorrhagic Complications Gain Ground on Ischemia in Treating Patients with Arrhythmia

Atrial fibrillation patients with coronary artery disease pose a delicate balancing act for physicians. A growing awareness of bleeding vs. ischemic risks could soon lead to a steadier therapeutic response.

The Opioid Crisis May Be Coming to Your Cardiology Practice

Where I live in Pennsylvania, not far from the “Heroin Highway,” the local news delivers frequent but superficial glimpses of the impact of the opioid epidemic on families and our communities. Statistics underscore such stories: More than 70,000 drug over-dose deaths just in 2017 with an associated “economic burden” exceeding $78 billion per year.

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

Oral semaglutide linked to significant weight loss as Novo Nordisk awaits FDA approval

An oral version of the popular GLP-1 drug was associated with multiple benefits, including considerable improvements in BMI and waist circumference. Previous research found that it reduces certain heart risks in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Cardiovascular Business

Stroke risk much higher for TAVR patients with carotid artery stenosis

Screening TAVR patients for CAS may provide significant value, according to a new meta-analysis of 15 different studies.

Health Imaging

Hundreds of radiation therapy systems subject to FDA recall

A Class 2 recall has been issued for the systems due to a software glitch that could impact treatment accuracy.