| Expert Insights &
Feature Articles |
FDA Approves Resolute DES for Use in Chronic Total Occlusions
The FDA today approved an expanded indication for Medtronic's family of Resolute zotarolimus-eluting coronary stents: use in the treatment of de novo chronic total occlusions (CTO). This approval includes all Resolute DES devices, including the Resolute Onyx™ and Resolute Integrity™ DES. |
The First EVAR
The field of endovascular repair and intervention has grown exponentially since the 1st endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR) was performed by Dr. Juan Parodi in 1990 in Buenos Aires. It took a while to be accepted, but today the endovascular approach is the preferred procedure to repair an AAA. This is due to the advances in medical device design and the dedication of physicians to this less invasive non-surgical approach. |
Drug-Eluting Stent Expansion Chart
A useful chart for the cath lab wall, this chart, created by Dr. Ajay Kirtane and the teams at NY Presbyterian/University of Columbia Medical Center, shows the nominal and post-dilatation expansion limits for four widely-used drug-eluting stents: Synergy (Boston Scientific), Resolute Onyx (Medtronic), Xience Sierra (Abbott Vascular), and EluNIR (Medinol/Cordis). |
Shockwave Launches Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy in Europe
Shockwave Medical, a pioneer in the treatment of calcified cardiovascular disease, has announced the European commercial availability of Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) for calcified coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as the enrollment of the first patient in the DISRUPT CAD II post-market study. |
Neoatherosclerosis Five Years After BVS Implantation
Dr. Noriaki Moriyama discusses the recent study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which showed outcomes observed at five years after implantation with the Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (posted in collaboration with TCROSS NEWS) |
Medtronic's Intrepid™ Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) System
The Intrepid TMVR system integrates self-expanding, dual-stent technology with a tissue valve to facilitate catheter-based implantation without the need for open-heart surgery. The Intrepid is compressed inside a hollow delivery catheter and is inserted between the ribs to enter the heart. The new replacement valve is expanded directly into the malfunctioning mitral valve. |
Complex CTO-PCI: The Japanese Approach
This 20 minute video shows a complex CTO case, in which an RCA obstruction, complicated by a sharp bend and tortuous anatomy, was revascularized using both the antegrade and retrograde approaches, facilitated by IVUS and biplane angiographic imaging. The operator is Dr. Etsuo Tsuchikane; the case was broadcast live during the Japanese CTO Club course in June 2017. (from TCROSS NEWS) |
Clinical Trial to Study If 3-Months of DAPT is Safe After XIENCE Stent
The study, called XIENCE Short DAPT, will evaluate if 3 months of DAPT is non-inferior to the current standard of 12 months after implantation with a XIENCE stent for patients who are at high risk of bleeding. The study will enroll approximately 2,000 patients at 100 sites in the U.S. and Asia. |
| Medtronic Goes Radial |
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Medtronic is now offering a full portfolio of transradial tools: a line of catheters, a TRA access kit with introducer sheath, and its TRAcelet™ compression device for simplifying patent hemostasis post-procedure. Although the company previously has marketed a select number of items designed for the transradial approach (TRA), today's announcement marks the first full-transradial offering by a major stent manufacturer in the U.S. |
| NORSTENT: Drug-Eluting Stents – Doing What They’re Supposed To |
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At this week’s annual European Society of Cardiology Congress in Rome, an important randomized clinical trial on stents was presented by Professor Kaare H. Bønaa, MD, PhD. Called NORSTENT, short for the “Norwegian Coronary Stent Trial,” this was the largest stent trial ever conducted, with 9,013 patients followed for six years. That’s serious! |
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| Patients Are Talking About... |
- I had radial angiography 2 days ago...it was a fascinating experience and was able to watch part of the procedure. I feel fantastic, have no "heart ache" or any problems with my arm.
- I can't afford my post-stenting meds, where can I find help paying for Plavix or Effient?
- I'm 64. After 4 stents and 2 heart attacks since Dec. 2008, I'm as physically active or more so than ever. I plan to hit 4,000 miles on my bike this year. I've hiked/climbed at 13,000 feet.
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| Patients
Are Reading About... |
Radial Hospital Locator
A list of physicians and hospitals offering the transradial (wrist) approach to angiograms, angioplasty and stent procedures. |
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| Read patient stories and Learn about medications after stenting, symptoms and complications, care giving, taking charge of your health, communicating with your cardiologist and much more in our Patient Center. |
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video clip:
" The 1st Angioplasty" |
ANGIOPLASTY
AT 40: 2017
marked the 40th anniversary of coronary angioplasty. In
1977 in Zurich, Switzerland, a young physician named Andreas
Gruentzig inserted a catheter into a patient's
coronary artery and inflated a tiny balloon, successfully
opening a blockage and restoring blood flow to a human
heart. |
| Today over
two million coronary angioplasties are
performed worldwide each year and angioplasty has become the gold standard for emergency heart attack treament. |
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