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.

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Bleeding events after TAVR: An updated look at a serious side effect

Researchers explored data from more than 2,300 patients, categorizing all bleeding events based on updated VARC-3 definitions. The team's final analysis was published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

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Delirium after TAVR: A common side effect linked to increased mortality

Temporary changes in cognition, including disorganized thinking, are seen in a significant number of patients following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. 

VIDEO of Prof. Steen Kristensen explaining key trials and news from ESC 2023. #ESC #ESCcongress #ESC2023 ESCcongress2023

Key takeaways from ESC Congress 2023

Steen Dalby Kristensen, a cardiologist with Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, detailed some of the hottest topics at the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting. 

PCI

Immediate vs. staged multivessel PCI: How the 2 strategies compare when treating STEMI patients

Researchers explored data from more than 400 STEMI patients, presenting their work at ESC Congress 2023 and publishing it in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Example of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) shown as part of the multimodality imaging capability on the Fujifilm CVIS.

Intravascular imaging-guided PCI improves patient outcomes, new meta-analysis confirms

The ILUMIEN IV and OCTOBER trials helped illustrate that the benefits of intravascular ultrasound also are seen with optical coherence tomography. Both trials were included in the new meta-analysis presented at ESC Congress 2023.

Deferred testing for low-risk chest pain patients is safe, limits unnecessary catheterizations

Once physicians confirm a patient's CAD risk is low, they can feel comfortable putting diagnostic testing on hold. 

device implantation during left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures

Mitigating risk: How the depth of device implantation impacts LAAO outcomes

Researchers examined data from more than 1,300 procedures, presenting their findings in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

alternative approaches for transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures

Alternative TAVR techniques: How to proceed when transfemoral access is not recommended

A team of researchers from the United States and Sweden explored data from nearly 12,000 TAVR patients for a new systematic review and meta-analysis.