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.

Revascularization vs. therapy alone for stable ischemic heart disease: What data from 15K patients tell us

When patients have stable ischemic heart disease, two primary treatment options are revascularization followed by guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) or GDMT alone.

June 29, 2020

The top 10 hospitals for pediatric cardiology care

Such attributes as patient outcomes, efficiency and available resources were used to develop the list, which includes a tie at No. 10.

June 18, 2020

When experience is critical: High-volume operators associated with better left main PCI outcomes

Operators who performed at least 16 uLMS-PCIs per year were associated with improved survival.

June 10, 2020

Abiomed gains FDA approval to launch first-in-human trial for ‘world’s smallest heart pump’

The device will be tested in high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients.

June 5, 2020

FFR-guided PCI earns high marks as a treatment option for patients with stable angina pectoris

Fractional flow reserve guidance can help cardiologists make better decisions during percutaneous coronary intervention—can it lead to better outcomes for patients with stable angina pectoris?

June 4, 2020

DAEDALUS study results: How stent type may affect coronary in-stent restenosis treatment

When patients with coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR) require reintervention, should specialists turn to drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty or a drug-eluting stent (DES)?

May 27, 2020

Cath labs join forces, reduce radiation dose across the board

Cardiac cath labs can achieve significant radiation dose reductions through focused, collaborative quality improvement (QI) efforts, according to a new analysis published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.

May 20, 2020

What we know—and don’t know—about assessing nonculprit lesions after STEMI

How should nonculprit lesions be evaluated? And when is the ideal time for complete revascularization?

May 18, 2020

Interventional Cardiology

CMS proposes Medicare coverage for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement

Hydra TAVR valve gains key approval as global reach continues to grow

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