The majority of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in the Midwest live within an hour of their nearest percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-capable hospital and are able to undergo primary PCI within two hours of an MI, researchers reported in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Despite past research suggesting a history of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) could complicate coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) outcomes, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association Oct. 16 reported prior PCI has little to do with how a patient recovers from subsequent surgeries.

For patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and multivessel disease, complete revascularization is associated with greater in-hospital mortality but better long-term survival, according to an observational study published Oct. 15 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Despite the myth of a “weekend effect” in cardiac surgery—the idea that patients discharged from the hospital on weekends and holidays face higher readmission rates—a team of UCLA researchers concluded that heart patients face a similar risk of readmission regardless of the day of week they’re discharged.

Experienced operators in Europe are treating chronic total occlusions (CTOs) with increasing procedural success despite attempting more complex lesions over time, according to a report from the European Registry of CTO published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.

The shorter a patient’s hospital stay after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the better, according to recent research out of the U.K. that linked longer lengths of stay to an increase in unplanned readmissions and healthcare costs.

Forearm blood flow is preserved two decades after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery using radial artery grafts, Australian researchers reported in a letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

A low measure of base excess (BE) upon admission to the ICU following cardiac surgery was independently predictive of ICU mortality—more so than increased lactate levels, researchers reported in PLOS One.