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.

Independent Stent Imaging Study Shows Excellent Healing Profile with Resolute Onyx DES in Complex Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

DUBLIN and PARIS — May 24, 2018 — Investigators today unveiled clinical data from the independently run Onyx 1-Month OCT Study, which showed strong early vessel healing in a patient population that contained a high percentage of patients with complex coronary artery disease who were implanted with the Resolute Onyx(TM) DES at one-month follow-up.

May 24, 2018

Many operators don’t use FFR, iFR because they think angiography is good enough

Assessment of coronary physiology to guide revascularization decisions has been linked to lower adverse event rates than using angiography alone, but the adoption of techniques such as fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) continues to lag behind guideline recommendations.

May 23, 2018

FDA clears pulmonary embolism thrombectomy device

The FlowTriever System has become the first thrombectomy device designed to treat pulmonary embolism (PE) to be cleared by the FDA, Inari Medical announced in a May 21 press release.

May 22, 2018

New ORBITA data: Freedom from angina, stress echos improved with PCI

At EuroPCR in Paris, investigators of the controversial ORBITA trial presented two previously unreported benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the study population.

May 22, 2018

East African hospitals first from region to join ACC’s registry program

Two hospitals in East Africa have announced participation in the American College of Cardiology’s CathPCI registry, which aims to assess treatments and outcomes related to cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs).

May 22, 2018

FFR-guided PCI linked to better 5-year outcomes than medical therapy

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guided by fractional flow reserve (FFR) was associated with a 54 percent reduction in the composite endpoint of death, myocardial infarction and urgent revascularization when compared to medical therapy alone, according to five-year data from the FAME 2 trial.

May 22, 2018

Bare metal, drug-eluting stents equally effective in treating saphenous vein grafts

Saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions can be treated just as well with bare metal stents (BMS) as drug-eluting stents (DES), suggests a double-blind, randomized trial published May 11 in The Lancet.

May 21, 2018

Researchers make case for increased use of left radial access PCI

Left radial access (LRA) for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains rare in the United Kingdom, according to a registry analysis—but it is associated with similar clinical outcomes as right radial access (RRA) and possibly a reduced risk of stroke.

May 18, 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