The pressure changes associated with contrast injections are minimal, researchers noted, especially once you move away from the tip of the catheter. 

Charles E. Mullins, MD, a U.S. Army veteran who went on to practice medicine for five decades, died at the age of 92. SCAI shared a loving tribute to Mullins, calling him the "father of modern interventional pediatric cardiology."

The Sapien 3 Ultra Resilia TAVR valve from Edwards Lifesciences is associated with a significantly higher survival rate after one year than the company's previous balloon-expandable valves. Researchers identified other key benefits as well, sharing their findings in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

SCAI celebrated cardiologists William W. O'Neill, MD, and Cindy L. Grines, MD, for the important roles they played in the development of primary PCI. “It was challenging,” Grines explained. “We had the pharmaceutical industry that was anti-primary angioplasty and we had a lot of our own colleagues that were anti-primary angioplasty."

Self-expanding and balloon-expandable TAVR valves are associated with comparable success rates and one-year outcomes when treating type 1 bicuspid aortic stenosis. However, each valve type comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

PCI can be more challenging in high-risk patients presenting with diabetes and ACS. IVUS guidance was associated with improved outcomes among these patients compared to angiography guidance alone. 

Medtronic has launched new research into AI's potential to identify patients with severe aortic stenosis and other worrying symptoms. The company hopes to overcome longstanding health disparities and reach individuals who may otherwise go untreated.

TAVR patients in this study were treated with early-generation devices that have since been updated, but researchers still believe their data are relevant to today's care teams.