Catheterization News and Research

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Clinicians describe placement of first implantable hemodynamic monitor in single ventricle Fontan anatomy

While the Fontan procedure has improved the short- and mid-term outcomes for patients born with single ventricle anatomy, long-term complications of Fontan circulation include heart failure. These complications are thought to be secondary to elevated central venous pressure, chronic venous congestion and low cardiac output.

29 Apr 2016

Pediatric researchers develop minimally invasive techniques to treat plastic bronchitis

Pediatric researchers have devised an innovative, safe and minimally invasive procedure that helps relieve rare but potentially life-threatening airway blockages occurring in children who had surgery for congenital heart defects.

22 Apr 2016

Excess activation of LOX may play causative role in progression of cardiac failure

Heart failure is a progressive condition, where structural and functional alterations of the ventricle limit the ability of the heart to either fill or eject blood. There are approximately 550,000 new cases of heart failure each year with a prevalence of nearly 5 million; most patients die within five years of diagnosis.

2 Apr 2016

Freestanding organ recovery facility for brain-dead donors increases organ transplant

Transplant surgeons report that obtaining organs from deceased organ donors costs much less and leads to a higher number of transplantable organs recovered when brain-dead donors are moved from the hospital to an independent, freestanding facility dedicated to organ recovery. Their study is published online as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print publication later this year.

2 Mar 2016

Ohio State study evaluates trans-catheter interatrial shunt device for diastolic heart failure

For the first time in the U.S., a clinical trial is underway that's evaluating a device designed to treat diastolic heart failure. The first patient enrolled in the randomized, blinded study is being treated at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

26 Feb 2016

New BayCare Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery office opens at St. Anthony's Hospital

To improve access to high-quality, advanced cardiac surgery services in St. Petersburg and south Pinellas County, BayCare Health System has opened a BayCare Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery office at St. Anthony's Hospital.

24 Feb 2016

ACC, AHA support implementation of proposed cardiovascular measures, with reservations

Quality measures announced today by the Core Quality Measures Collaborative represent a step forward in reducing paperwork and confusion while also allowing providers to focus on measures that impact patient outcomes, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) said in support of implementation of the proposed cardiovascular measures. But the groups expressed reservations about blood pressure targets included in the measures.

17 Feb 2016

Seven easy ways to reduce heart disease risk and be heart-healthy

It's no secret that heart disease is the leading cause of death for adult men and women in this country. It kills one of every four people. While many of us associate February with red-ruffled hearts and chocolate candy for Valentine's Day, it's also "American Heart Month" to raise awareness of the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices to improve overall heart health.

14 Feb 2016

Ultrasound-activated microbubbles help preserve healthy heart tissue

Researchers funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering used ultrasound-activated microbubbles to improve preservation of heart muscle and function in a pig heart attack model.

12 Feb 2016

Cardiac rehabilitation program at Bayshore Community Hospital receives AACVPR certification

The cardiac rehabilitation program at Bayshore Community Hospital is pleased to announced that it has received certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) for its strict standards of practice.

12 Feb 2016

UPMC uses simple gene test to personalize medications for patients undergoing heart catheterization

Patients who go to UPMC Presbyterian for heart catheterization and who receive a stent to treat clogged arteries are now being screened with a simple blood test to determine if they have a gene variant that makes them less likely to respond to a blood-thinning medication commonly prescribed after the procedure.

11 Feb 2016

Amgen announces approval of cholesterol-lowering medication Repatha (evolocumab) Injection in Japan

Amgen today announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved the cholesterol-lowering medication Repatha (evolocumab) Injection, the first proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor to be approved in Japan.

22 Jan 2016

American College of Cardiology to honor LA BioMed researcher with Distinguished Teacher Award

John Michael Criley, MD, a Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute researcher, will receive the 2016 Distinguished Teacher Award from the American College of Cardiology on April 4 at the organization's 65th Annual Scientific Session in Chicago, IL.

11 Jan 2016

ISHLT issues new list of criteria to determine patient eligibility for heart transplant

To determine patient eligibility for heart transplant, the International Society for Heart Lung Transplantation maintains a list of criteria, first issued in 2006, that acts as a guideline for physicians.

7 Jan 2016

Heart attack patients with bypass history more likely to have delayed treatment

Heart attack patients who had previously undergone cardiac bypass surgery are about twice as likely to have a delay in receiving angioplasty, or another form of revascularization, compared to heart attack patients who had no history of bypass surgery or previous angioplasty.

31 Dec 2015

Penn study explores bleeding complications linked to cardiac stent placement techniques

More than 375,000 American each year experience a heart attack, during which blood flow to a part of the heart is impeded by blocked arteries. Physicians often treat patients with stents, which prop open the arteries to allow blood to flow again. They use two approaches to place stents: transradial, or entry of the catheter which delivers the stent through the wrist, or transfemoral, in which the catheter is placed through the groin.

23 Dec 2015

Mallinckrodt sells CMDS business to Guerbet for $270 million

Mallinckrodt plc, a leading specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it has closed the sale of its global contrast media and delivery systems (CMDS) business to Guerbet in a transaction valued at approximately $270 million.

28 Nov 2015

Sound Physicians agrees to provide hospitalist services for Mount Vernon's Skagit Valley Hospital

Sound Physicians, a health care organization focused on improving quality and lowering cost throughout the acute episode of care, announced today an agreement to provide hospitalist services for Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon, WA.

24 Nov 2015

Cardiologists successfully use virtual reality device to treat chronically blocked right coronary artery

Virtual reality (VR) has potential to revolutionize some aspects of medicine and healthcare. Several medical specialties are already using it to train physicians and assist diagnosis and it also has potential for treatment. A group of cardiologists has now successfully used a VR device to guide the opening up (revascularization) of a chronically blocked right coronary artery.

20 Nov 2015

White coat hypertension, masked hypertension increase cardiovascular events over the years

Patients whose blood pressures spikes in the doctor's office but not at home, and patients whose blood pressure spikes at home but not in the doctor's office, suffer more heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes than patients with normal blood pressures in both settings, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

10 Nov 2015