Women see worse outcomes than men after thoracic aortic surgery requiring hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA), researchers reported in the Feb. 26 edition of Circulation.

The ultra-thin Orsiro drug-eluting stent (DES) has received FDA approval and is now commercially available in the United States, device manufacturer Biotronik announced Feb. 22.

Individuals undergoing cardiac surgery might benefit from a pre-scheduled postoperative cocktail of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen and either propofol or dexmedetomidine, according to Harvard researchers who found the common painkiller could reduce in-hospital delirium in older patients.

The Pascal transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) system has received its CE mark for the treatment of patients with mitral regurgitation, device manufacturer Edwards Lifesciences announced Feb. 19.

Five-year survival rates and cardiovascular outcomes are similar between elderly patients who undergo both off- and on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), according to research out of Germany.

A simple educational initiative designed to show cardiac surgeons how often they used blood transfusions—and how much they cost—helped one heart center significantly cut its rate of blood utilization and save a projected $500,000 each year.

Placing homemade shields under the angiographic table during percutaneous coronary procedures cut operators’ exposure to radiation at the pelvic level by a median of 72 percent, according to a single-center study in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Patients with chronic angina pectoris who experience incomplete revascularization after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may fare better if they’re optimistic about their own recovery, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology Feb. 7.