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.

Pei-Ni Jone, MD, FASE, director, echocardiography laboratory, Lurie Children’s Hospital Heart Center, professor of pediatric cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, member of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) Board, and the chair of the ASE Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Council Steering Committee, explains how 3D echo is being used to better plan, guide and followup in congenital cardiac surgery.

3D echo guidance seeing increasing use in congenital heart surgery

Pei-Ni Jone, MD, FASE, director, echocardiography laboratory, Lurie Children’s Hospital Heart Center, member of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) Board, explains how 3D echo is being used to better plan, guide and follow up in congenital cardiac surgery.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted 510(k) clearance for the first large-bore continuous vacuum-assisted system to treat pulmonary embolism (PE). The Symphony Thrombectomy System from Imperative Care Inc. enables physicians to remove more clot from the lungs in less time.

FDA clears first large-bore, vacuum-assisted pulmonary embolism thrombectomy system

The Symphony Thrombectomy System eliminates tradeoffs between two priorities—leveraging large-bore power and ease of use vs. efficiently reducing clot burden and delivering improved speed. 

 

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Seeing is believing: New cath lab technology takes coronary stent visualization to the next level

Sponsored by GE HealthCare

The technologies and tools of the cardiac catheterization lab have evolved in recent years, allowing interventionalists to perform procedures with more precision than ever. Angiographic imaging, meanwhile, has remained relatively consistent—but that is all starting to change.

Medtronic Symplicity Spyral renal denervation

Medtronic’s RDN system approved in Japan

Hypertension is a significant issue in Japan, impacting an estimated 43 million adults. Medtronic's Symplicity Spyral RDN system is now approved for the treatment of those patients. 

leg veins chronic venous disease PAD peripheral artery disease

Drug-coated balloons make little impact on PAD outcomes

Researchers tracked data from more than 3,000 patients, calling for more clinical trials of antiproliferative agents other than paclitaxel.

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No sedation required: Local anesthesia enough for most TAVR patients

New data out of ESC Congress 2025 suggest care teams can take a more minimalist approach during a majority of TAVR cases and only treat patients with local anesthesia. In some cases, however, sedation will still be necessary. 

Abbott's Navitor TAVR valve

Abbott receives expanded approval for Navitor TAVR system

Abbott's TAVR valve now has CE mark approval for treating low-, intermediate- and high-risk patients who present with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. The news comes as new data on the valve's safety and effectiveness were just published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Recor Medical's Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation System

Recor Medical gains historic approval for its ultrasound RDN system

Recor Medical's Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation System is the first medical device approved for the treatment of hypertension in Japan. It first gained FDA approval back in 2023.