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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TAVR programs follow inconsistent DNR policies, potentially skewing data

Not all hospitals respect the written preferences of patients, possibly motivated by a desire to report better TAVR outcomes.

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Moderate aortic stenosis linked to a significant risk of death—should earlier interventions be considered?

Researchers tracked data from more than 12,000 moderate AS patients who originally participated in one of 25 different studies. While the findings seem to suggest earlier treatment could be beneficial for certain high-risk patients, additional research is still required.

SAPT after TAVR preferred over DAPT, new meta-analysis confirms

An international team of researchers, led by specialists from Cleveland Clinic, found that DAPT was consistently linked to a greater risk of major or life-threatening bleeding events. 

Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) is associated with “promising” short-term outcomes among patients with a history of cancer, according to new research published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Risk of death increases when TEER patients present with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

A team of Cleveland Clinic researchers tracked data from nearly 23,000 patients, sharing their findings in the American Journal of Cardiology

Pre-procedure CT imaging benefits LAA occlusion in Henry Ford study

There is not agreement among the top structural heart experts if CT is required for left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), but a Henry Ford Hospital study shows it can improve outcomes.

The Harmony pulmonary valve was among the devices involved with the FDA Breakthrough Device Designation program that gained more rapid market clearance. The FDA graph shows cardiovascular devices leading the types of devices involved in the program.

Cardiovascular devices lead FDA Breakthrough Device Designation program

The FDA said cardiovascular devices make up the largest number of technologies accepted into the Breakthrough Devices Program, and several are on the list of the first 50 in the program to gain market clearance.

A transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure being performed at Intermountain Healthcare. Image from Intermountain Healthcare

VIDEO: How to build a collaborative heart team in structural heart

Brijeshwar Maini, MD, structural heart cardiologist, national and Florida medical director of cardiology, Tenant Health, explains what hospitals need to build a structural heart program and develop a heart-team care collaboration approach.

Example of a patient's coronary tree extracted from a cardiac CT scan. CT allows very detailed anatomical imaging and now physiological and plaque information that can be useful in pre-planning interventional procedures. Imaging from the GE Revolution Apex system at SCCT 2022.

VIDEO: CT imaging to plan coronary interventions — Interview with Jonathon Leipsic, MD

Jonathon Leipsic, MD, chairman of the Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, explains how noninvasive computed tomography angiography (CTA) can be used to aid in planning interventional cardiology procedures for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and chronic total occlusions (CTO).