Interventional Cardiology

This cardiac subspecialty uses minimally invasive, catheter-based technologies in a cath lab to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease (CAD). The main focus in on percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) to revascularize patients with CAD that is causing blockages resulting in ischemia or myocardial infarction. PCI mainly consists of angioplasty and implanting stents. Interventional cardiology has greatly expanded in scope over recent years to include a number of transcatheter structural heart interventions.

SAVR outperforms TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valves
BAV patients are often excluded from TAVR trials, creating uncertainty about the best way to treat that population when aortic valve replacement is required. To learn more, researchers tracked CMS data from 2018 to 2022, presenting their findings in The Annals of Thoracic 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.
Treating AFib patients with TAVR still linked to elevated risks
While the technology and techniques associated with TAVR have advanced over the years, treating patients who present with baseline atrial fibrillation is still associated with certain risks.
Industry concerns over paclitaxel-coated devices may have put PAD patients at risk
Back in 2019, the FDA issued a warning about the use of paclitaxel-coated devices when treating peripheral artery disease. The agency took back that warning in 2023, but it appears to have made a significant impact on patient care.

‘A landmark event’: First human patients receive remote PCI

An interventional cardiologist performed percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) on five patients located 20 miles away—the first truly remote PCIs in human patients.

December 6, 2018

FFR fails to improve CABG outcomes in randomized trial

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) assessment before coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) didn’t improve outcomes compared to angiography-guided surgery, Danish researchers reported Nov. 26 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

November 30, 2018

Cancer patients 3 times more likely to die in-hospital after PCI

A team in the U.K. published research Nov. 30 suggesting cancer patients are at an elevated risk for major bleeding events and in-hospital death following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the most common interventional treatment in patients with coronary heart disease.

November 30, 2018

Radial access PCI, proper dosing could cut bleeding rates for frail MI patients

People who are frail and older than 65 are at a 50 percent increased risk of major bleeding during hospitalizations for heart attack compared to nonfrail patients, according to research published Nov. 19 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

November 19, 2018

PCI guided by intravascular ultrasound linked to long-term advantages

The use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to guide PCI leads to further improvements in event-free survival between one and two years post-procedure, according to a report from the ADAPT-DES study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.

November 19, 2018

Study paves way for larger trial on ventricular unloading before PCI

The Door-to-Unload pilot study concluded without any “prohibitive safety signals,” researchers reported at the American Heart Association 2018 Scientific Sessions, clearing the path for a larger trial to test the hypothesis that ventricular unloading prior to PCI with the Impella CP heart pump can reduce reperfusion injury.

November 12, 2018

Medtronic Begins Renal Denervation Study for High Blood Pressure Patients Prescribed Anti-Hypertensive Medication

Medtronic announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin a clinical trial to evaluate the Symplicity Spyral renal denervation system in patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) who are already prescribed anti-hypertension medications.

November 8, 2018

Bleeding avoidance strategies could save hospitals nearly $5K per PCI

Physicians successfully reversed the bleeding risk-treatment paradox in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by prioritizing risk-concordant use of bleeding avoidance strategies like bivalirudin, radial access and vascular closure devices, according to a report published Oct. 31 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

November 2, 2018

Interventional Cardiology

SAVR outperforms TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valves

Intravascular lithotripsy technology now a top priority for many healthcare companies

SCAI president reviews achievements in interventional cardiology in 2024

Treating AFib patients with TAVR still linked to elevated risks

Industry concerns over paclitaxel-coated devices may have put PAD patients at risk