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 technology now a top priority for many healthcare companies
After the significant success of Shockwave Medical's IVL therapy to break up heavily calcified vessels without trauma, there are now several companies working on their own IVL devices.
SCAI president reviews achievements in interventional cardiology in 2024
SCAI President James Hermiller, MD, recently outlined the key achievements for 2024, including creation of the first interventional cardiology match program, successful advocacy and efforts to increase women in the field.
Contrast injections during angiography, PCI unlikely to cause coronary injuries
The pressure changes associated with contrast injections are minimal, researchers noted, especially once you move away from the tip of the catheter.
Charles E. Mullins remembered as a pioneer of interventional pediatric cardiology
Charles E. Mullins, MD, a U.S. Army veteran who went on to practice medicine for five decades, died at the age of 92. SCAI shared a loving tribute to Mullins, calling him the "father of modern interventional pediatric cardiology."
IVUS-guided PCI reduces risks in patients with diabetes
PCI can be more challenging in high-risk patients presenting with diabetes and ACS. IVUS guidance was associated with improved outcomes among these patients compared to angiography guidance alone.

Virtual reality specialists launch new training solutions for endovascular surgery

The virtual reality training sessions were designed to feature "the same sights, sound and sensations a surgeon would encounter during real procedures."

April 14, 2022

Drug-coated balloons comparable to drug-eluting stents when PCI patients have a high bleeding risk

Drug-coated balloons were associated with a lower risk of bleeding after PCI than drug-eluting stents, the study's authors reported.

April 13, 2022

VIDEO: TAVR durability outperforms surgical valves

Michael J. Reardon, MD, professor of cardiothoracic surgery and Allison Family Distinguished chair of cardiovascular research at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, presented pooled data at ACC.22 from the CoreValve SURTAVI trials that found transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was more durable than surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) devices.

April 13, 2022

Adam Greenbaum, MD, Emory, explains the CLASP TR trial of the Pascal clip device for transcatheter repair, which was a late-breaking ACC22 study.

VIDEO: Pascal effective in transcatheter repair of tricuspid valve regurgitation

Adam Greenbaum, MD, co-director of the Structural Heart and Valve Center at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, explains details from the late-breaking CLASP TR trial at ACC.22.

April 12, 2022

Several ACC 2022 late-breaking trials may have impacts on clinical practice for interventional cardiology and structural heart. One trial compared FFR vs. IVUS guided PCI for intermediate coronary lesions. Photos by Dave Fornell

Key interventional cardiology takeaways from ACC.22

Several late-breaking clinical trials at ACC.22 will likely impact clinical practice. Below are summaries of a few key trials and their takeaways for interventional cardiology and structural heart interventions.

April 11, 2022

Is PCI without stenting safe for low-risk STEMI patients?

The study's authors examined data from the DANAMI-3 trial, focusing on such outcomes as all-cause mortality, recurrent MI and target vessel revascularization.

April 8, 2022