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.

FDA announces more recalls due to risk of syringe breaking during treatment
Medline already had to recall millions of syringes due to a significant safety risk. Now, multiple procedure kits that include the devices are also being recalled. The issue has been associated with four serious injuries.
CCTA brings clarity, better outcomes to CTO PCI
Researchers reviewed dozens of studies to evaluate the long-term value of using CCTA guidance to perform PCI on patients with complete blockages.
Fewer stents, positive outcomes: Sirolimus-eluting balloons a safe alternative during PCI
Using a DCB that releases sirolimus over an extended period of time appears to be both safe and effective when treating patients who present with NSTEMI or unstable angina.
FDA clears next-gen hybrid system for intravascular imaging
Conavi Medical's new hybrid imaging system simultaneously performs IVUS and OCT.
Stereotaxis to acquire robotic PCI company Robocath for up to $45M
The deal includes an upfront payment of $20 million. Stereotaxis could pay up to an additional $25 million if certain regulatory and commercial milestones are met.

Andriy Vengrenyuk, MS, senior data analyst for interventional cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, explains a pilot program where artificial intelligence (AI) virtual agents call patients prior to their cath lab procedures to save nursing staff time doing administrative tasks.

AI agent calling cath lab patients to help them prepare for treatment

Mount Sinai Hospital in New York is now using AI-powered virtual agents to call some patients before cath lab procedures. The move was designed to help nurses focus more on patient care and reduce their risk of burnout.

Sunil Rao, MD, director, interventional cardiology, cardiac catheterization laboratory, NYU Langone Heart, professor, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, discusses the heart team approach in the context to determining what is best for the patient in terms of bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention.

Heart teams playing a major role in coronary revascularization decisions

Sunil Rao, MD, discusses the heart team approach in the context of deciding what is best for the patient between bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention.

Hospital patient bays recovery Banner Health and Atlas Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) in Sun City, Arizona.

Office-based interventional labs see boost in pay in 2026

CMS has made it a priority to increase payments for procedures performed by office-based labs and ambulatory surgical centers. This was reflected in policy changes made as part of the 2026 Medicare Physicians Fee Schedule.

Sunil Rao, MD, MSCAI, director, interventional cardiology, cardiac catheterization laboratory, NYU Langone Heart, professor, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, explains the prevalence, trends and predictors of same day discharge after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) data for non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) in clinical practice from the NCDR-CathPCI Registry.

Same-day discharge after PCI for NSTE-ACS is on the rise

Sunil Rao, MD, told Cardiovascular Business that same-day discharge is still relatively rare for these patients, but it appears to be growing more common over time. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have played a key role in the development of this trend.

Nick West, MD, chief medical officer, Shockwave Medical, Johnson and Johnson Meditech, explains how the company is innovating intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) therapy devices and building clinical evidence from trials for its use in a variety of calcified lesions. There are several companies developing IVL therapy, but West says Shockwave will remain the market leader because of its nearly decade long head start in the market, strong clinical evidence and has about a 10% market penetration. #IVKL

Why Shockwave Medical is so excited about the future of intravascular lithotripsy

Nick West, MD, Shockwave Medical's chief medical officer, detailed how the company is continuing to push IVL technologies forward. "We are leading the space ... we have no intention of giving up that position," he said.

The Medtronic Liberant thrombectomy system.

New Medtronic thrombectomy system used commercially for first time

The new device uses an advanced algorithm to regulate aspiration and conserve blood. Ajit Rao, MD, a vascular surgeon with The Mount Sinai Hospital, performed the historic procedure.

Philips to acquire AI-enabled intravascular imaging specialists SpectraWAVE

Massachusetts-based SpectraWAVE has gained considerable momentum in recent years, planting its flag in some of cardiology’s biggest trends. The company was co-founded by cardiologists and has already secured multiple FDA clearances.

Vesalio enVast coronary mechanical thrombectomy system gained FDA in December 2025.

FDA clears new stent-based coronary thrombectomy system

The newly cleared system offers clinicians a new option for capturing and removing large coronary thrombi in patients undergoing primary PCI.

Cath Lab

FDA announces more recalls due to risk of syringe breaking during treatment

CCTA brings clarity, better outcomes to CTO PCI

Fewer stents, positive outcomes: Sirolimus-eluting balloons a safe alternative during PCI

FDA clears next-gen hybrid system for intravascular imaging

Stereotaxis to acquire robotic PCI company Robocath for up to $45M