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.

Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) Shockwave Medical PCI PAD CAD Disrupt PAD Disrupt CAD SCAI 2022

Boston Scientific’s deal to acquire Shockwave Medical reportedly hits a snag

Talks between the two companies have reached a standstill, according to a new report. The rumor appears to have impacted the stock prices of both Boston Scientific and Shockwave Medical. 

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How improving access to PCI affects heart attack outcomes

When PCI-capable hospitals open and close, how does it impact patient care for the surrounding area? Researchers aimed to find out, sharing their findings in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

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Fewer stress tests, more high-risk procedures: How working at a hospital influences cardiologists

Cardiologists employed by a hospital appear to be more likely to pursue cardiac catheterization or angioplasty than independent cardiologists.

Magenta Medical Elevate Heart Pump

Medical device company raises $55M for new percutaneous heart pump

The device, described as the "world's smallest heart pump," has received the FDA's breakthrough device designation for two indications. 

A TAVR procedure being performed at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. These structural heart procedures require a team approach.

Is TAVR too common among younger, low-risk patients? 2 experts share their concerns

Two experienced TAVR specialists—Sachin Goel, MD, and Michael Reardon, MD—examined the growing trend of younger, low-risk patients being recommended for TAVR over SAVR.

X-ray photon trajectory during the simulation phantom study from the side and top views. Due to scattering of the X-rays when they hit the lower end of the patient bed, exposure in mainly to the lower body of the interventional echocardiographer performing transesophageal echocardiography. The green lines are the scattered photon trajectories calculated by Monte Carlo simulation in the study.

Radiation exposure in the cath lab: Tracking the impact on interventional echocardiographers

Researchers found that echocardiographers in the cath lab are exposed to high doses of radiation on the right half of their body, especially the waist and lower body. 

Janet Wei at Cedars-Sinai Hospital explains INOCA and MINOCA at ACC 2023.

Understanding INOCA and MINOCA epidemiology

Janet Wei, MD, associate medical director of the Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, and co-director of the stress echocardiography lab at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, explains the current information on the INOCA and MINOCA.

Raj Makkar, MD, Cedars-Sinai’s vice president of Cardiovascular Innovation and Intervention and the Stephen R. Corday, MD, Chair in Interventional Cardiology, explains the ACC 2023 results on the safety and efficacy of transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair in degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) study. It was a review of data is from the STS/ACC TVT Registry that was presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2023 meeting.

New data on real-world TEER outcomes in patients with degenerative MR

TEER can significantly improve a patient's chances of survival, new findings confirm.