When CMS finalized coverage for cardiac ablations performed in ASCs, experts from HRS and ACC published recommendations for performing those procedures safely and effectively. One of the cardiologists behind that guidance shared some important takeaways with Cardiovascular Business.
The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology visited Capitol Hill to advocate for a variety of issues. Cardiovascular Business spoke to the group's president to learn more.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia after heart surgery is a major concern, but prior guidelines were developed without much feedback from actual cardiac surgeons.
New American College of Radiology CEO Dana Smetherman, MD, discusses the impact of reimbursement cuts, issues with staffing costs and prior authorization.
Most EP clinical study data are from men, Anne Kroman, DO, explained in an interview. This is a significant problem, she said, because heart rhythm issues look quite different in women.
Sahil Parikh, MD, director of endovascular services, New York-Presbyterian, explains details from the big-data REAL-PE study comparing mechanical thrombectomy to ultrasound assisted catheter thrombolysis.
Anne Kroman, DO, PhD, assistant professor at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), explains mentoring efforts for women in EP and why it is important for patients to see more female electrophysiologists to help overcome barriers.
Emily Lau, MD, a women's health expert with Massachusetts General Hospital, thinks major changes are needed in how we diagnose CVD in women. "Our guidelines need to be more precise and offer sex-specific recommendations," she says.
In rural Oklahoma, double amputees due to untreated peripheral artery disease face mortality rates around 35% after one year and 60% after two. Jim Melton, DO, hopes his mobile cardiology clinics can make a difference for these patients.
Care teams gained significant momentum in the early days of TAVR. Now, however, they are being used to address a wide variety of cardiovascular concerns.
Jim Melton, DO, a vascular surgeon in Oklahoma City, explains his efforts to reach patients in rural Oklahoma and Native American tribes with a mobile cardiovascular clinic program.
