Angioplasty News and Research

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In angioplasty procedures, a balloon is fed through a catheter and used to prop open an artery that has become narrowed or blocked. In cases where stenting is appropriate, a stent mounted on a balloon is inserted and inflation of the balloon expands the stent against the blocked artery wall to hold the vessel open. The balloon is then deflated and the catheter is withdrawn. Stent treatment of arteries holds them open and improves blood flow to the heart. In cases where post-dilatation is needed, a high-pressure balloon is inflated inside a stent to help better place the stent against the vessel wall.

Dr. Mark Rasak recognized with Diamond Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of Medicine

Dr. Mark Rasak, MD is recognized by Continental Who's Who with the Diamond Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of Medicine as a result of his role as CEO of Cardiovascular Clinical Associates.

23 Aug 2014

Cardium reports positive results from Generx Ad5FGF-4 Phase 3 study for treatment of myocardial ischemia

Taxus Cardium Pharmaceuticals Group Inc. will report today at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s 2014 BIO International Convention on a pre-specified interim analysis from its international ASPIRE Phase 3 registration clinical study of Generx Ad5FGF-4, Cardium Therapeutics’ angiogenic gene therapy product candidate for patients with myocardial ischemia due to coronary artery disease.

25 Jun 2014

Study shows room for improvement in medical management of women with PAD

Women face greater limits on their lifestyle and have more severe symptoms as a result of peripheral artery disease (PAD), but minimally invasive procedures used to unclog arteries are just as successful as in men.

6 May 2014

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory of Mount Sinai Heart receives highest "two-star" safety rating

The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory of Mount Sinai Heart at The Mount Sinai Hospital has once again received the highest "two-star" safety rating from the New York State Department of Health for its percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) overall and in non-emergency cases.

6 May 2014

Penn study clarifies action of potential new class of pain relievers that may benefit and not hurt heart

Nonsteroidal antinflamatory drugs (NSAIDs) that block an enzyme called COX-2 relieve pain and inflammation but can cause heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, and even sudden cardiac death.

22 Apr 2014

Jersey Shore opens new CVICU to provide post-operative care for cardiac surgery patients

Jersey Shore University Medical Center recently unveiled the new CardioVascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) - a twelve bed critical care unit providing post-operative care for cardiac surgery patients, including those who receive traditional open heart surgery and newer, complex interventional cardiovascular procedures.

22 Apr 2014

Heparin proves effective than bivalirudin in patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention after heart attack

In a comparison of two blood-thinning medications, heparin was associated with significantly fewer major cardiovascular events at 28 days than bivalirudin in patients receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention after a heart attack, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

1 Apr 2014

Corindus Vascular Robotics to showcase FDA-cleared CorPath System at ACC annual meeting

Corindus Vascular Robotics, the leader in precision vascular robotics, will showcase its FDA-cleared CorPath System at the upcoming American College of Cardiology annual meeting, March 29 – 31 in Washington, D.C.

28 Mar 2014

CSI's new Diamondback Peripheral 60cm systems receive FDA clearance for PAD treatment

Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., announced today it has received FDA clearance of its new Diamondback 360 60cm Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy Systems (OAS) for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

10 Mar 2014

Report highlights benefits of different access approach to treat uterine fibroids

Interventional radiologists have devised a new way to access a woman's fibroids-by flipping her wrist and treating via an arm not groin artery-to nonsurgically shrink noncancerous growths in the muscular wall of the uterus. Researchers found this to be less painful and traumatic for women, allowing them to immediately sit up and move after uterine fibroid embolization (UFE)-with no overnight stay, according to a March article in the Society of Interventional Radiology's flagship publication, the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

6 Mar 2014

Long-term risks of deep vein thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) often brings with it the risk of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), an under-recognized but serious complication that often causes long-term disability for patients. During March's DVT Awareness Month, the Society of Interventional Radiology wants to help patients and family members to better understand the long-term risks of DVT.

5 Mar 2014

Researchers receive $3M grant to develop targeted cancer drugs and repair damaged arteries

The National Institutes of Health has awarded grants totaling $3 million for two nanoparticle research projects in which Penn State bioengineer Jian Yang is co-principal investigator.

19 Feb 2014

Zilver PTX randomized trial of paclitaxel-eluting stents for femoropopliteal disease demonstrates superior results

Four-year results of the Zilver PTX Randomized Controlled Trial of Paclitaxel-Eluting Stents for Femoropopliteal Disease continue to demonstrate consistent, superior results when compared to bare metal stents (BMS) and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in terms of primary patency, restenosis reduction and revascularization rates.

From COOK MEDICAL INC. 14 Feb 2014

New technology to enhance angioplasty with added precision, accuracy and less radiation exposure

Robots in the cath lab are helping clear blocked arteries in patients — reducing chest pain, shortness of breath, and risks for heart attacks. The Orlando Health Heart Institute is the first in the state of Florida, to offer a robotic-assisted system for coronary angioplasty.

13 Feb 2014

Researchers evaluate trends in cause-specific long-term mortality post PCI

More people who have known coronary heart disease die from other causes — such as cancer, and lung and neurological diseases — than heart disease, compared with 20 years ago, according to a Mayo Clinic study published online today in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.

11 Feb 2014

New method to build tiny degradable 'medicine factories' inside the body

A factory built of gel does not sound very durable. But the new type of micro-factories invented by researchers at Aarhus University do not have to last.

9 Feb 2014

Bioengineer receives $1.4M grant to create nanoparticle system to shore up arterial walls

A UT Arlington bioengineer has received a four-year, $1.4 million National Institutes of Health grant to create a nanoparticle system to shore up arterial walls following angioplasty and stenting procedures to treat coronary arterial disease.

5 Feb 2014

Sanford Hospital starts clinical trial to study dissolving device in patients with CAD

Sanford Heart Hospital has started a clinical trial to study a dissolving device in patients with coronary artery disease. The ABSORB III clinical trial will investigate the safety and effectiveness of the Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) device, manufactured by global health care company Abbott.

4 Feb 2014

Prediction models can be useful for heart team to determine best treatment strategy

Detailed prediction models that project long-term patient mortality following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery can be useful for the heart team when determining the best treatment strategy for individual patients, according to a study in the February 2014 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

31 Jan 2014

Saint Luke receives $3.4M to investigate health benefits, cost-effectiveness of novel cardiac procedures

aint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute has been awarded a $3.4 million, three-year grant from Boston Scientific to investigate and better define the success, safety, health benefits, and cost-effectiveness of novel methods to open challenging blocked coronary arteries previously thought untreatable through minimally invasive techniques.

28 Jan 2014