Cath Lab

The cardiac catheterization laboratory is used for diagnostic angiograms and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Cath labs have also seen expanding use in recent years for transcatheter structural heart procedures. Some hospitals also share these labs with other subspecialties for catheter-based procedures in electrophysiology (EP), interventional radiology, peripheral artery disease (PAD), carotid and neuro interventional procedures and vascular surgery.

Carlos Collet, MD, PhD, director, cardiovascular imaging, physiology and translational therapeutics, Cardiovascular Research Foundation, explains how noninvasive coronary CT angiography (CCTA) assessments will play a major role to eliminate invasive diagnostic angiography and to pre-plan percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures.

CCTA will play an essential role in the cath labs of the future

Noninvasive coronary CT angiography is growing more and more important as time goes on, helping cardiologists make critical treatment decisions. Carlos Collet, MD, PhD, discussed the technique's potential to be a real game-changer for patient care in a new interview. 

To eat or not to eat: Is fasting still necessary before heart procedures?

As one may expect, patient satisfaction was considerably higher for individuals who did not have to fast for a minimum of six hours prior to treatment. There were no other significant differences.

The Penumbra thrombectomy pulmonary embolism clots extraction catheter displayed at TCT 2025. Photo by Dave Fornell

Pulmonary embolism thrombectomy use increases by more than 700%

Medicare claims submitted between 2017 and 2022 showed a 712% increase in thrombectomy for pulmonary embolism (PE) and a 137% increase in thrombectomy for deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

stock market IPO

Private equity-backed Medline files for IPO

The company, founded in 1966, has been providing supplies to cardiac surgery suites and cath labs for decades.

Hadley Wilson, MD, MACC, executive vice chair of Atrium Health Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, and a clinical professor of medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, shares what he felt were the most important clinical trials presented at the TCT 2025.

Key takeaways for interventional cardiology from TCT 2025

B. Hadley Wilson, MD, talked to Cardiovascular Business about several standout late-breaking clinical trials presented at TCT 2025. Topics of those trials included drug-coated balloons, TAVR valve durability, pulmonary embolism treatments and much more.

Heartflow PCI Navigator Cardiology

New Heartflow tech delivers AI-powered PCI planning for cardiologists

PCI Navigator from Heartflow was designed to help cardiologists plan ahead for percutaneous coronary interventions before they even step foot into the cath lab. It assesses a patient’s CCTA results and creates a state-of-the-art 3D model.

Cardiologists perform first TTVR of its kind on recent heart transplant recipient

When a 50-year-old patient developed severe TR just months after receiving a heart transplant, the safest treatment option was to implant an Evoque TTVR device. 

Contego Medical, a North Carolina-based medical device company, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its new all-in-one carotid stenting offering, the Neuroguard IEP System

Medtronic launches full distribution of new 3-in-1 carotid stent

The device, manufactured by Contego Medical, was designed with rising procedure volumes and stroke risks in mind.