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.

Q&A: Society of Thoracic Surgeons president previews the trends and technologies of STS 2025
It looked like the wildfires in Los Angeles could force STS to cancel its annual meeting, but the group worked with city officials and was able to carry on as planned. STS President Jennifer C. Romano, MD, MS, discussed that difficult decision and previewed the three-day event in a new interview.
Key details associated with the treatment of COVID-induced arrhythmias
Rakesh Gopinathannair, MD, lead author of a recent American Heart Association scientific statement on cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19, reviewed the latest science associated with this important topic.
Experts in interventional cardiology, medical billing unite to discuss Shockwave Medical’s IVL technology
Intravascular lithotripsy has quickly emerged as one of healthcare’s most in-demand technologies. Now Shockwave Medical, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, is co-hosting a webinar designed to teach coding and billing specialists how to code appropriately for peripheral and coronary IVL procedures.
Heart surgeons may deliver better outcomes during stressful procedures
Excessive stress may still be harmful to a surgeon's performance, researchers warned, but moderate stress early on during a procedure appears to reduce the odds of a major complication.
Aortic valve calcium scores help predict need for a permanent pacemaker after TAVR
RBBB remains the single strongest predictor for PPMI after TAVR, but high AV calcium scores still provide care teams with considerable value.

COVID-19 vaccine booster shots safe and beneficial for heart transplant patients

Heart transplant recipients reap significant benefits from a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Abbott’s LAA closure solution for AFib patients gains FDA approval

The device has already been approved in other parts of the world, including Europe.

History of CABG associated with a higher risk of death from COVID-19

Researchers examined data from four different studies. The mean patient age was roughly 68 years old.

16% of heart failure patients delay or skip treatment—many for financial reasons

A majority of patients delaying care came from a low-income household.

Repeat TAVR leads to better short-term outcomes than TAVR explantation

Repeat TAVR is expected to grow more and more common as time goes on, making it especially important to study its impact on patient outcomes.

Radial access bests femoral access for PCI on CKD patients

The authors tracked data from more than 7,000 high-risk patients who underwent PCI from January 2000 to January 2021.

Rivaroxaban limits adverse limb and cardiovascular events in surgically treated PAD patients

Rivaroxaban was associated with more bleeding than a placebo, researchers observed, but the overall incidence of such events was still low.

RSNA will require proof of vaccination, masks at this year’s annual meeting

Attendees can offer evidence either prior to the meeting or upon entrance to McCormick Place, with more details to follow.

Clinical

Q&A: Society of Thoracic Surgeons president previews the trends and technologies of STS 2025

Key details associated with the treatment of COVID-induced arrhythmias

Experts in interventional cardiology, medical billing unite to discuss Shockwave Medical’s IVL technology

Heart surgeons may deliver better outcomes during stressful procedures

Aortic valve calcium scores help predict need for a permanent pacemaker after TAVR