Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

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ICD patients may experience fear, anxiety or depression due to their devices

Some patients feel anxiety due to the risk of being shocked. Others have device recalls and/or cybersecurity threats on their mind.

Cardiac surgeon John Puskas, MD, Emory University, says CCTA will make invasive angiography obsolete very soon.

CCTA could make invasive angiography a thing of the past

John Puskas, MD, thinks coronary CT angiography is on its way to completely transforming patient care. 

Stereotaxis MAGIC SWEEP electrophysiology catheter

FDA clears first robotically guided EP mapping catheter for ablation

Stereotaxis has received FDA clearance for the first mapping catheter of its kind. The company emphasized that this is just the first of many robotically navigated devices it is working to bring to the U.S. market.

pharmaceutical drug approval process

New drug candidate for AFib fails in first-in-human trial—in fact, it made matters worse

Researchers had thought 2-HOBA might reduce the risk of AFib recurrence after catheter ablation procedures. What they found, however, was that treatment with the compound was actually harmful for patients instead of helpful. 

John D. Puskas, MD, MSc, PhD., FACS, FACC, professor of surgery, and chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University Hospital Midtown, explains when patients are best served with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery rather than percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

How to choose between CABG and PCI when treating coronary artery disease

John Puskas, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University Hospital Midtown, noted that both treatment options have their own benefits. It often depends on the patient's age and comorbidities, though there are other factors to consider as well. 

The use of intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still safe and effective when patients present with calcified nodules (CNs), according to new long-term data published in EuroIntervention.[1] Researchers compared outcomes from patients with and without CNs, highlighting key similarities in stent expansion and luminal gain.

Complications after intravascular lithotripsy are rare, real-world data confirm

Shockwave Medical, now a part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, has consistently been found safe for patients. However, many previous clinical trials excluded high-risk patients, making it important to track real-world outcomes as time goes on.

Video interview with Allen Taylor, MD, chairman of cardiology at Medstar, who explains use of AI CCTA plaque analysis at Medstar to improve risk assessments.

AI software takes cardiac risk assessments to another level

Allen Taylor, MD, thinks AI-powered plaque evaluations can make a substantial impact on patient care. 

stock market IPO

Heartflow, a leader in AI-powered imaging evaluations, files for IPO

Heartflow, known for its AI-based CCTA evaluations, appears to be going public. The news follows years of momentum for the California-based company, including improved Medicare reimbursements for cardiac CT and a new Category I CPT code for its Plaque Analysis software.