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.

CMS proposes Medicare coverage for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement
Edwards Lifesciences sent a formal request to CMS in February after its Evoque TTVR device gained FDA approval. The agency is now accepting public comments for 30 days.
Hydra TAVR valve gains key approval as global reach continues to grow
The self-expanding device is now available in more than 20 countries and received CE mark approval back in 2020. However, it has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States.
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.

Uninterrupted OAC therapy for PCI patients leads to cost savings, shorter lengths of stay

Putting OAC therapy on hold does have its own benefits, the authors wrote, but uninterrupted OAC therapy is still the better choice.

April 9, 2021

New guidelines focus on the management of heart failure patients with secondary mitral regurgitation

The Heart Failure Association, European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, European Heart Rhythm Association and European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions all collaborated on the position statement.

April 8, 2021

Abbott gains CE mark approval for short-term DAPT after stent implantation in high-risk patients

Abbott is currently seeking a similar approval from the FDA.

April 6, 2021

Championing Alternative PAD Access in the Office-based Lab

Sponsored by Terumo

Improving access is at the center of a pair of new trends in treating peripheral artery disease (PAD). First is the office-based lab (OBL) expanding access to more PAD patients needing therapy, and the second is physicians more often choosing alternative access such as radial, tibial or pedal to treat those patients. Why now?

Primary PCI boosts 10-year survival rate for STEMI patients

STEMI mortality remains a primary concern among healthcare providers, and a new study in the American Journal of Cardiology suggests that long-term outcomes are much better if the patient undergoes primary PCI.

March 23, 2021

Frail patients much more likely to experience major bleeding events following PCI

The new study, published by the American Journal of Cardiology, suggests that frailty could be a helpful predictor for major bleeding events after PCI.

March 3, 2021