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The ‘AI avalanche’ descends on surgery, ChatGPT goes healthcare-specific and more AI news & views not to miss

AI is an icy landslide sweeping through healthcare. Even surgeons must choose between two stark options: Ride the crest of the powder cloud now or dig yourselves out of a deep runout zone later.

Doctor faces 58 counts of unlawful opioid distribution, fraud as part of 'pill mill' operation

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that 52-year-old Ritesh Kalra, MD, wrote 50 prescriptions a day for addictive painkillers and billed New Jersey Medicaid for patient visits that never occurred. The alleged incidents occurred between 2019 and 2025.

Lawsuit alleges AFP imported unsafe HIV drugs from Turkey through gray market supply chains

Numerous “alternative funding programs” are named as defendants in what is a larger challenge of the right of these third-party organizations to import drugs from overseas, bypassing FDA regulations.

Large nonprofit health system sues PBMs, drug companies over insulin prices

Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health has accused the three biggest PBMs—Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx—of a de facto collusion scheme involving the primary makers of insulin, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi. The lawsuit alleges rebates offered by the manufacturers unfairly burden self-insured and public health plans, like the one the health system uses for its employees.

Newsweek ranked the 50 best heart hospitals in the world

Cardiologists perform first procedure of its kind to prevent coronary obstruction after TAVR

A vulnerable heart patient required TAVR, but he faced an extremely high risk of coronary obstruction. Leaflet modification and snorkel stenting were not possible, so the group turned to a brand new treatment option: the VECTOR procedure.

Mirvat Alasnag, MD, FACP, FACC, FSCAI, FSCCT, director of catheterization laboratory and research, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah-Saudi Arabia, director of TCT Middle East, and member of Society of Cardiovascular CT (SCCT) Education Committee, outlines why coronary CT angiography (CCTA) imaging will likely be a paradigm shift in cardiology, and where the gaps remain to gather more clinical evidence.

CCTA continues to transform cardiac imaging, interventional cardiology

Mirvat Alasnag, MD, spoke to Cardiovascular Business about CCTA's growing influence in cardiology.

Hologic issues safety alert for breast biopsy needles

The safety notice was issued due to the risk of pieces of the needles dislodging into tissue during procedures.

Siemens Healthineers' latest 'helium-free' MRI nabs FDA clearance

The health tech company announced the news Thursday, noting that the platform should help facilities address the growing demand for imaging.

Nick West, MD, chief medical officer, Shockwave Medical, Johnson and Johnson Meditech, explains how the company is innovating intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) therapy devices and building clinical evidence from trials for its use in a variety of calcified lesions. There are several companies developing IVL therapy, but West says Shockwave will remain the market leader because of its nearly decade long head start in the market, strong clinical evidence and has about a 10% market penetration. #IVKL

Why Shockwave Medical is so excited about the future of intravascular lithotripsy

Nick West, MD, Shockwave Medical's chief medical officer, detailed how the company is continuing to push IVL technologies forward. "We are leading the space ... we have no intention of giving up that position," he said.

Is RFK Jr. really conducting an ‘assault on vaccines’? And more high-level news notes

The CDC has gone ahead and changed its recommendations for childhood immunizations. The gnashing of teeth has only just begun.

FDA recalls surgical packs due to risk of microbial contamination

Multiple lots of ophthalmic surgery packs manufactured by Alcon will need to be disposed of, due to an incomplete seal that could cause the sterile bandages and syringes inside to be compromised. Because of the serious health risk posed to patients, this recall has been designated Class I.

FDA confirms new recall after catheter sheath was left in patient’s body

This is a Class I recall, which means the FDA believes these devices could cause a serious injury or death.

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Health Exec

The ‘AI avalanche’ descends on surgery, ChatGPT goes healthcare-specific and more AI news & views not to miss

AI is an icy landslide sweeping through healthcare. Even surgeons must choose between two stark options: Ride the crest of the powder cloud now or dig yourselves out of a deep runout zone later.