Clinical

This channel newsfeed includes clinical content on treating patients or the clinical implications in a variety of cardiac subspecialties and disease states. The channel includes news on cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, heart failure, electrophysiology, hypertension, structural heart disease, use of pharmaceuticals, and COVID-19.

FDA announces Class I recall on anesthesia vaporizers due to risk of chemical exposure
Vapor 2000 and Vapor 3000 devices manufactured by Draegar were improperly cleaned after parts were soldered on, meaning toxic metals could mix with medical gases. Due to the high risk posed to patient health, this recall has earned the FDA’s most serious designation.
FDA issues warning over use of Boston Scientific stents after 167 injuries, 3 deaths
Boston Scientific sent all known customers a letter on December 19, 2025 alerting them to an issue with certain AXIOS Stent and Electrocautery Enhanced Delivery Systems. During deployment, the stents may not expand. This can cause severe, potentially life-threatening injury to patients. All recalled stents must be removed from clinical settings immediately.
Abbott’s Navitor TAVR valve linked to positive real-world outcomes
The intra-annular, self-expanding Navitor valve gained FDA approval in 2023 for the treatment of high-risk heart patients with severe aortic stenosis. This analysis explores its early impact on patient care.
Heart teams playing a major role in coronary revascularization decisions
Sunil Rao, MD, discusses the heart team approach in the context of deciding what is best for the patient between bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention.
Heart failure experts share guidance on increasing prevention efforts
Cardiology has been shifting from reactionary treatment strategies to a greater emphasis on prevention. This is an especially important trend in heart failure, which is associated with high costs and rising hospitalization rates.

A transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure being performed at Intermountain Healthcare. Image from Intermountain Healthcare

Severe prosthesis-patient mismatch after TAVR linked to a higher risk of death

Researchers examined data from 82,000 TAVR patients, focusing on echocardiography-defined PPM. They shared their results in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

FFR-guided PCI provides significant value, new meta-analysis confirms

FFR-guided PCI was associated with improved resource utilization and less radiation exposure, among other benefits, when compared to angiography-guided procedures.

COVID-19 vaccines prevented 300K deaths in 2021

COVID-19 vaccines were very effective at preventing serious illness and excess deaths in 2021, according to new data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The vaccines were also linked to considerable cost savings.

Microbot Medical microcatheters Liberty Robotic System

Microbot Medical acquires Nitiloop’s assets, including FDA-cleared microcatheters

The company plans to integrate the newly acquired microcatheters into its existing robotics platforms.

Heart failure-related deaths are on the rise in the U.S., especially among men

Heart failure-related mortality among older adults improved from 1999 to 2012, but then things changed considerably over the next several years. Researchers explored the latest data at length, sharing their findings in JACC: Heart Failure.

VIDEO: Role of PFO closure in stroke prevention

John Carroll, MD, director of interventional cardiology and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, explains the state of transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) to prevent stroke.

Experts blame 'perverse incentives' for scientific fraud in radiology research

Nearly 30% of corresponding authors included in the analysis shared that they had witnessed scientific fraud in their department within the last five years.

New-onset AFib, linked to worse outcomes and higher healthcare costs, seen in 3.5% of TEER patients

Patients who developed new-onset AFib tended to be sicker than those who did not.

Clinical

FDA announces Class I recall on anesthesia vaporizers due to risk of chemical exposure

FDA issues warning over use of Boston Scientific stents after 167 injuries, 3 deaths

Abbott’s Navitor TAVR valve linked to positive real-world outcomes

Heart teams playing a major role in coronary revascularization decisions

Heart failure experts share guidance on increasing prevention efforts