Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT)

The Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference is the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's (CRF) annual scientific symposium and the largest conference focused on interventional cardiovascular medicine. TCT includes seminars on all areas of intervention cardiology, structural heart, vascular in interventions, peripheral artery disease, and other procedures in the cath lab.

Andres Cordova, MD, cardiology fellow, University of Vermont Medical Center, explains a study of registry and outcomes data on the use of Impella hemodynamic support in elderly STEMI patients with cardiogenic shock.

Impella use fails to improve mortality in elderly patients

The Impella CP heart pump is being used more and more to treat cardiogenic shock, and the benefits are clear. For many older patients, however, the technology seem to fall short. 

Transcatheter treatment of tricuspid valve disease has rapidly evolved over the past two years, giving physicians new tools to address a condition long considered under treated due to limited procedural options and complex anatomy. Ryan K. Kaple, MD, FACC, FSCAI, director of the structural and congenital heart program at Hackensack University Medical Center, spoke top Cardiovascular Business about recent advances and his center's real-world experience.

Key trends in transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement

The interventional treatment of tricuspid valve disease has evolved in recent years thanks to new research and critical FDA approvals. Cardiologist Ryan Kaple, MD, reviewed this trend for a new video interview.

Samir B. Pancholy, MD, chief interventional cardiologist, Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, discusses the differences in the business models for office based labs (OBL) vs ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) and choosing the right model cardiovascular and vascular procedures. #TCT #SCAI #OBL #ASC

Cardiologist highlights key differences between OBLs and ASCs

Current payment policies have health systems and physicians all over the country looking to learn more about these two business models. 

Advances in calcified coronary plaque modification are increasingly centered on intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) because the technology reduces complications such as vessel trauma and perforation associated with traditional high-pressure balloons or atherectomy techniques. Cardiovascular Business spoke with Samin K. Sharma, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital Cardiovascular Clinical Institute, recently about the advances in IVL. #IVL #TCT

Exploring major trends as IVL keeps evolving

Intravascular lithotripsy is expected to see even wider adoption when lower-profile catheters are introduced and device costs start to drop, explained Samin Sharma, MD.

Ryan Madder, MD, Program Director, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship, William Beaumont University Hospital, Corewell Health East, and Michael Abiragi, MD, cardiology fellow, Frederik Meijer Heart and Vascular Institute, Corewell Health West in Grand Rapids, explain a study showing a small number of high dose cases contribute the majority of staff dose, especially STEMI.

STEMI cases bring high doses of radiation to the cath lab

“We're so focused on quickly taking care of the patient ... we may be forgetting about radiation safety,” one researcher explained. 

Sunil Rao, MD, director, interventional cardiology, cardiac catheterization laboratory, NYU Langone Heart, professor, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, discusses the heart team approach in the context to determining what is best for the patient in terms of bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention.

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.

Mirvat Alasnag, MD, FACP, FACC, FSCAI, FSCCT, director of catheterization laboratory and research, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah-Saudi Arabia, Ditrector of TCT Middle East, and member of Society of Cardiovascular CT (SCCT) Education Committee, explains how the society it translating its educational content into other languages to help a wider international audience of clinicians. SCCT is working to expand its international membership and this is a big part of that strategy.

SCCT expands CCTA education overseas

SCCT has made it a priority to help clinicians from all over the world learn more about CCTA as the modality continues to transform patient care. 

Sunil Rao, MD, MSCAI, director, interventional cardiology, cardiac catheterization laboratory, NYU Langone Heart, professor, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, explains the prevalence, trends and predictors of same day discharge after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) data for non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) in clinical practice from the NCDR-CathPCI Registry.

Same-day discharge after PCI for NSTE-ACS is on the rise

Sunil Rao, MD, told Cardiovascular Business that same-day discharge is still relatively rare for these patients, but it appears to be growing more common over time. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have played a key role in the development of this trend.