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.

CRT 2026: Key takeaways for interventional cardiologists
CRT studies shed new light on many topics, including long-term TAVR outcomes, radiation protection and advanced interventional techniques.
FDA confirms more recalls for Johnson & Johnson heart pumps due to malfunction risk
The issue, first announced to the public in February, has been linked to 22 serious injuries. Customers are urged to review the updated instructions for use to avoid any potential complications.
Death after PCI seen in just 0.5% of patients—heart attack, cardiac arrest most common causes
The new analysis included data from more than 22,000 PCI patients treated at one of two high-volume U.S. facilities. Infection was the most common noncardiac cause of death.
Interventional cardiologists take on angiography-derived physiology in new expert opinion
ADP offers care teams multiple benefits not seen with traditional wire-based physiologic assessments. A roundtable of 17 expert clinicians discussed the topic at length, and their findings were used to develop a new manuscript published in JSCAI.
FDA warns that Johnson & Johnson heart pump sensors may malfunction—22 injuries reported
There is a risk of users making adjustments during treatment that are unnecessary. The FDA is still evaluating the issue at this time.

Several interventional cardiology late-breaking studies were presented at the Cardiovascular Research Technologies (CRT) 2026 meeting March 7-10, and experts from the Society of Society highlighted what they felt was most impactful to clinical practice. Photo by Dave Fornell.

CRT 2026: Key takeaways for interventional cardiologists

CRT studies shed new light on many topics, including long-term TAVR outcomes, radiation protection and advanced interventional techniques.

FDA recall medical device recall product recall

FDA confirms more recalls for Johnson & Johnson heart pumps due to malfunction risk

The issue, first announced to the public in February, has been linked to 22 serious injuries. Customers are urged to review the updated instructions for use to avoid any potential complications.

Death after PCI seen in just 0.5% of patients—heart attack, cardiac arrest most common causes

The new analysis included data from more than 22,000 PCI patients treated at one of two high-volume U.S. facilities. Infection was the most common noncardiac cause of death.

Interventional cardiologists take on angiography-derived physiology in new expert opinion

ADP offers care teams multiple benefits not seen with traditional wire-based physiologic assessments. A roundtable of 17 expert clinicians discussed the topic at length, and their findings were used to develop a new manuscript published in JSCAI.

The Impella RP with SmartAssist. Image courtesy of Johnson & Johnson MedTech.

FDA warns that Johnson & Johnson heart pump sensors may malfunction—22 injuries reported

There is a risk of users making adjustments during treatment that are unnecessary. The FDA is still evaluating the issue at this time.

artificial intelligence money finance acquisition

Medtronic to acquire AI-enabled FFR specialists CathWorks for up to $585M

Medtronic has held a minority investment in CathWorks for several years, and the two organizations entered into a co-promotion agreement in 2022. Once finalized, the move will increase Medtronic's presence in the cath lab.

Joint Commission partners with STS, ACC on new cardiac care certification

The new certification is focused on the importance of high-quality care and real-world patient outcomes. It will be based on the same data care teams already submit if they participate in the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, ACC CathPCI Registry or STS/ACC TVT Registry.

Samir B. Pancholy, MD, chief interventional cardiologist, Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, discusses the differences in the business models for office based labs (OBL) vs ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) and choosing the right model cardiovascular and vascular procedures. #TCT #SCAI #OBL #ASC

Cardiologist highlights key differences between OBLs and ASCs

Current payment policies have health systems and physicians all over the country looking to learn more about these two business models.