January 27, 2012
Stent Pioneer Gary Roubin Leaving Lenox Hill
Interventional cardiology pioneer, Dr. Gary Roubin, is leaving Lenox Hill Heart & Vascular Institute in New York, where he has served as chair of Interventional Cardiac & Vascular Services for almost a decade. (Read more...)

January 24, 2012
Medtronic Completes Enrollment of Extreme Risk Patient Group in CoreValve® U.S. Pivotal Trial
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced it has completed patient enrollment in the extreme risk study in its CoreValve U.S. Pivotal Trial. The company also received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an extended investigation (under the FDA's Continued Access Policy) to continue enrolling extreme risk patients under a Continued Access Study protocol. In the Trial's second study evaluating high risk patients for aortic valve surgery, enrollment completion is anticipated later this year. (Read more...)

January 21, 2012
FAME II Is Not the "Anti-COURAGE": Stents and Angioplasty in the Spotlight
There's been much talk this week, given the news that the FAME II clinical trial ended enrollment early, due to ethical concerns that were generated by the fact that patients randomized to Optimal Medical Therapy (OMT) alone were returning to the hospital in significant numbers for "urgent revascularization." So is this a reversal of the COURAGE trial results? Not according to the principal investigators of both the FAME II trial AND the COURAGE trial, whom I have spoken with in the past 48 hours. (Read more...)

January 18, 2012
Does FAME II Trump COURAGE? FFR: Key to Stents and Angioplasty
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) announced that it is stopping enrollment in its FAME II trial after only 2/3 of the planned patients were included. Why? Because the interim data so clearly favor the use of Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) to guide stenting (PCI) in stable angina patients that the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the trial has concluded that it would be unethical to continue to randomize patients to optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone. Wait a minute! Did they say that using optimal medical therapy alone was unethical for the treatment of stable angina patients? That's pretty big news! (Read more...)

January 18, 2012
Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board Recommends St. Jude Medical's FAME II Clinical Trial Stop Enrollment Following Positive Interim Analysis
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced today that an interim analysis of the FAME II trial has found a highly statistically significant reduction in the need for hospital readmission and urgent revascularization when Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR)-guided assessment was used to direct treatment in patients with coronary artery disease. As a result of the positive interim analysis, the FAME II independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has recommended investigators stop patient enrollment in this trial as the DSMB considers it unethical to continue to randomize patients to optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone. (Read more...)

January 17, 2012
AAA Stent Graft Revisited
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: I revisit a patient who received an AAA stent graft a year-and-a-half ago and continues to stay physically active -- competing in Ironman races! (Read more...)

January 17, 2012
Medtronic Endurant® II AAA Stent Graft System Launches Internationally With CE Mark
Medtronic Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced the CE (Conformité Européenne) mark and international launch of the Endurant® II AAA Stent Graft System, which meaningfully expands the options physicians outside the United States have to treat patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms through a minimally invasive technique called endovascular aortic repair (EVAR). (Read more...)

January 9, 2012
New Drug-Eluting Stents: Lower Mortality and Less Restenosis Than First Gen DES or Bare Metal Stents
A new report in the European Heart Journal, analyzing 94,384 stent placements, finds that the new generation of drug-eluting stents (Medtronic's Endeavor Resolute, Abbott's XienceV and Xience Prime, and Boston Scientific's Promus and Promus Element) are associated with lower rates of restenosis, stent thrombosis and mortality than either the first generation drug-eluting stents or bare-metal stents. (Read more...)

January 9, 2012
Volcano Corporation Announces Preliminary 4QTR Revenues for 2011
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) said today it expects total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2011 will be approximately $92.7 million, bringing expected full year 2011 revenues to approximately $343.5 million. (Read more...)

January 3, 2012
Volcano Corporation Presentation at J.P. Morgan Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) said today that it will be participating in the 30th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, January 10. The presentation by Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer, will begin at 9:30 a.m., Pacific Standard Time. (Read more...)

December 21, 2011
Boston Scientific's New Drug-Eluting Stent in the News Again
The rare but vexing issue of longitudinal stent compression appeared in the news again, regarding the fact that the FDA required Boston Scientific to include a cautionary statement in the package insert labeling for its recently approved PROMUS Element everlimus-eluting stent. (Read more...)

December 7, 2011
ADVISE: New Tool May Help Determine Stent and Angioplasty Appropriateness
Results of ADVISE, a pilot study testing the validity of concept of a new adenosine-free assessment of stenosis severity, were published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology as an expedited manuscript. This proof of concept study also provided a correlation of iFR against fractional flow reserve (FFR). The r value in 157 stenoses measured was 0.90, virtual equivalence. (Read more...)

December 7, 2011
A Stent By Any Other Name
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: Labels can be misleading, for example, when discussing the categories in the Appropriate Use Criteria for stenting and angioplasty. (Read more...)

December 4, 2011
Stents, Angioplasty and PCI: The Uncertainty Principle (MEDICARE Style)
The question of the day, regarding whether or not to stent a coronary artery, is now being brought to the forefront by the U.S. government in the form of a Medicare "Demonstration Project". And by "brought to the forefront", I mean MONEY! -- as in "we won't pay you if we determine that the stent procedure was inappropriate." (Read more...)

December 2, 2011
Women's Heart Disease and Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS)
More evidence that intravascular imaging is critically important -- a broadcast on CBS affiliate WGCL-TV in Atlanta shows how a type of coronary narrowing more typical in women may not be seen on a standard angiogram because it's evenly distributed along the arterial wall or channel and doesn't appear as a "spike" or sudden narrowing -- yet it may be restricting the flow of blood to the heart just the same. (Read more...)

December 2, 2011
Stent as Concertina
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: We've published two articles this week about the issue of stent compression...so read them and let's move on.... (Read more...)

December 1, 2011
Avoiding and Repairing Coronary Stent Distortion
For many interventional cardiologists, stent distortion is not that big a deal. It doesn't occur that frequently, especially when proper technique is employed. But sometimes, for exmaple in an ostial lesion, deep catheter engagement or manipulation is required. In such cases it is important to understand the issues involved in possible stent compression. To whit, we are posting Dr. John Ormiston's recommendations about avoiding and repairing coronary stent distortion. (Read more...)

November 30, 2011
New Boston Scientific Stent Shows Significant Shortening Compared to Other 2nd Generation DES
Seven stent designs were bench-tested for resistance to compression -- and the results for Boston Scientific's brand-new flagship PROMUS Element platform, approved by the FDA just last week, were not great. (Read more...)

November 29, 2011
iFR: A New Way to Judge Stents and Angioplasty for Coronary Blockages?
iFR is a faster and less invasive way of determining whether or not a blockage is ischemia-producing. It does not require adenosine infusion and it removes virtually all of the objections that a cardiologist may have to using functional measurement, rather than angiography alone. (Read more...)

November 28, 2011
Interview with Dr. Justin Davies
Dr Justin E. Davies of Imperial College London discusses iFR (instant wave-Free Ratio™) a new way of measuring stenosis severity without the need for pharmacologic vasodilation, as described in the late-breaking trial of the ADVISE study at this year's TCT. He talks about iFR's potential implications for patient comfort and assessment of procedural success. (Read more...)

November 15, 2011
CMS Announces New Demonstrations to Help Curb Improper Medicare, Medicaid Payments
In 2010, the President announced three goals for cutting improper payments by 2012: reducing overall payment errors by $50 billion, cutting the Medicare fee-for-service error rate in half, and recovering $2 billion in improper payments. To help achieve these goals, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced it will launch demonstration programs beginning in January 2012 targeting some of the most common factors that lead to improper payments. (Read more...)

November 14, 2011
New Data Reinforce Clinical Performance of Abbott's ABSORB Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold
Today Abbott announced positive long-term data from the two-stage ABSORB trial, which is evaluating the ABSORB drug eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) for the treatment of coronary artery disease. (Read more...)

November 14, 2011
ADVISE Study Results Demonstrate the Instant Wave-Free Ratio™, a Vasodilator-Free Measure of Stenosis Severity, is Comparable to FFR
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) and Imperial College London jointly announced the results of the ADVISE (ADenosine Vasodilator Independent Stenosis Evaluation) study during a Late Breaking Clinical Trial session at the Transcatheter Therapeutics Conference (TCT 2011) in San Francisco. The results have also been accepted for publication in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. ADVISE assessed the ability of an investigational product called instant wave-Free Ratio™ (iFR™), to provide a measurement of the severity of a coronary stenosis that is similar to fractional flow reserve (FFR), the gold standard for assessing ischemia, without the need for pharmacologic vasodilation. (Read more...)

November 11, 2011
Medtronic Resolute Drug-Eluting Stent Equals Abbott Xience V in Second Major Study
Two second-generation drug-eluting stents were shown to have similar outcomes in this late-breaking trial presented at Friday morning's final TCT2011 session. The TWENTE clinical trial, which compared Medtronic's Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent with Abbott's current market-leading everolimus-eluting Xience V stent is the second major trial to test these two stents head-to-head, or perhaps more accurately, strut-to-strut. (Read more...)

November 9, 2011
Upgraded ACCF/AHA/SCAI Guidelines Reinforce Benefits of Volcano's Precision Guided Therapy Technologies
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) supports the elevation of Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) and Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) technologies in the updated clinical guidelines for the management of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The update was issued earlier this week by the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), American Heart Association (AHA), and Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). (Read more...)

November 8, 2011
Medtronic Resolute® Drug-Eluting Stent Shows Strong Results, Even in Challenging Diabetes Patients with Coronary Disease
Currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Resolute® drug-eluting stent (DES) from Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) continues to demonstrate consistently positive performance across a variety of studies, according to two new data analyses being presented this week at TCT 2011. (Read more...)

November 8, 2011
Study of Medtronic Endeavor® Drug-Eluting Stent Demonstrates Long-Term Advantages Over Taxus® Drug-Eluting Stent
New research findings released at TCT 2011 show that the Endeavor® zotarolimus-eluting stent (DES) from Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) outperformed Boston Scientific Corp.'s Taxus® paclitaxel-eluting stent on standard measures of safety and efficacy through five years of clinical follow-up. (Read more...)

November 8, 2011
SRO Times 5 for Transradial Symposium at TCT2011
Today I saw hard statistical evidence that the transradial approach is growing exponentially in the U.S. The audience for the TCT half day symposium was five times larger than two years ago. (Read more...)

November 7, 2011
Medtronic CoreValve® System Gains CE Mark for New Direct Aortic Approach to Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
This new approach will provide severe aortic stenosis patients with a viable treatment alternative to the transfemoral (in the upper leg), transapical (through the wall of the heart), and subclavian artery (beneath the collar bone) approaches used by TAVI practitioners. (Read more...)

November 4, 2011
Medtronic's Unmatched Portfolio of Cardiovascular Devices Features Prominently on Program for TCT 2011
Medtronic announces its week-long schedule of sessions and presentations at TCT 2011 that involve Medtronic devices, including stents and balloons for both coronary and peripheral artery disease, transcatheter valve for aortic stenosis, stent grafts for aortic aneurysms, and renal denervation for treatment-resistant hypertension and heart failure. (Read more...)

October 28, 2011
Volcano Corporation Appoints Leslie V. Norwalk and Dr. Eric J. Topol to Board of Directors
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC), a leading developer and manufacturer of precision guidance therapy tools designed to enhance the treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, today announced the appointment of Leslie V. Norwalk, Esq., and Eric J. Topol, M.D., to the company's board of directors. (Read more...)

October 28, 2011
Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) Guides Stent Treatment for So-Called "Widow Maker" Artery
The results of this study show that a significant number of patients with a proximal Left Anterior Descending (LAD) blockage do not need angioplasty or bypass surgery and can be treated safely with medical therapy only. (Read more...)

October 27, 2011
Volcano Corp Schedules Events for TCT 2011
Volcano Corporation has scheduled several events for this year's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting, being held November 7-11 in San Francisco. These events will be highlighting their intravascular guidance technologies, in particular a new adenosine-free FFR technique. (Read more...)

October 27, 2011
The Cardiovascular Research Foundation and the Angiographic Core Laboratory of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc. Announce CRFiCOR, a Collaborative Alliance to Enhance Patient Care
The Angiographic and Imaging Core Laboratories of the Clinical Trials Center (CTC) at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) in New York have formed a collaborative alliance with the Angiographic Core Laboratory of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc. (HFMP). Led by distinguished physicians Gregg W. Stone, Jeffrey J. Popma and Gary S. Mintz, the collaborative research alliance will be known as CRFiCOR. (Read more...)

October 17, 2011
Volcano Corporation Schedules Third Quarter Conference Call, Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC), a leading developer and manufacturer of precision intravascular therapy guidance tools designed to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, today announced that it will report its operating results for the third quarter of fiscal 2011 on Monday, October 31. (Read more...)

October 13, 2011
Medtronic Introduces Two Next-Generation Cardiovascular Devices in Japan
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced plans to introduce two of its next-generation cardiovascular devices in Japan, the world’s second largest market for advanced medical technology: the Integrity® Coronary Stent System for the treatment of narrowed heart arteries due to atherosclerosis and the Endurant® AAA Stent Graft System for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. (Read more...)

October 6, 2011
Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) Imaging Reveals Hidden Heart Attack Culprit In Women
A heart attack can occur in a coronary artery that looks completely normal on angiography, long considered the "gold standard" of coronary imaging. But newer techniques, such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, were able to reveal the cause of the incident: plaque disruption. (Read more...)

October 5, 2011
In Memoriam: J. Willis Hurst, MD
Dr. J. Willis Hurst, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine for 30 years, passed away on October 1 at age 90, leaving behind a legacy of teaching and mentoring many thousands of cardiologists. He also played a significant role in bringing angioplasty to the U.S. (Read more...)

September 27, 2011
FFR: Why Isn't Everyone Using It?
Guidelines give FFR an "A", leaders in interventional cardiology say it is "a very important tool". Studies show it reduces "inappropriate stenting" and saves money. So why do less than 20% of PCIs take advantage of FFR? (Read more...)

September 27, 2011
New Techniques Can Help Doctors Decide Who Needs A Stent
Two emerging technologies can help doctors determine more precisely when and where to place a stent. Sometimes called “Intravascular Guidance Tools,” Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) and Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) are images and measurements that give the doctor a closer look inside the artery, and more information about how well blood is flowing through the artery to the heart. (Read more...)

September 27, 2011
An IVUS State of Mind
Images we see form a construct in our brains of what may be reality. For half-a-century, the 2-D shadow images of the coronary arteries, as served up by the "gold standard" of angiography, have informed cardiologists as to what a stenosis is. But newer intravascular imaging modalities have challenged those black-and-white renderings and are yielding a new, more accurate way to "see" and think about coronary artery lesions: "an IVUS state of mind". (Read more...)

September 23, 2011
Cross-Country Training for Transradial Wrist Angioplasty
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: This fall no less than eight major training courses in the transradial technique were scheduled: from North Carolina to San Francisco. (Read more...)

September 22, 2011
Advanced Transradial Angioplasty Training Course from Duke Clinical Research Institute
On October 20-21, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, in conjunction with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and SCAI, will present the "Duke Advanced Course in Transradial Angiography and Intervention", one of the first advanced courses in this new and growing technique to be offered in the United States. (Read more...)

September 8, 2011
Transradial Angioplasty Training in Las Vegas
This weekend Richard R. Heuser, MD, FSCAI and John E. Lassetter, MD, FSCAI of St. Luke's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona will be conducting a one-day course in transradial (wrist) angioplasty at the Wynn/Encore Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. But the games of chance will be relegated to the casinos because, as Dr. Heuser recounts in his exclusive interview with Angioplasty.Org, the wrist approach to diagnostic and interventional coronary procedures is safer for patients, more comfortable for patients and (trumpet fanfare) has the potential to reduce costs of healthcare as well. (Read more...)

September 8, 2011
Interview with Richard R. Heuser, MD, FACC
Angioplasty.Org discusses the transradial approach with angioplasty pioneer Dr. Richard Heuser of the Phoenix Heart Center. Dr. Heuser and Dr. John E. Lassetter will be conducting a special one-day transradial workshop on Sunday, September 11 in Las Vegas. Our exclusive interview with Dr. Heuser discusses why he feels the transradial approach increases patient safety, patient satisfaction and how it can reduce healthcare costs. (Read more...)

September 1, 2011
Volcano Corporation Announces Presentations at Upcoming Investor Conferences
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC), a leading developer and manufacturer of precision intravascular diagnosis and therapy guidance tools designed to enhance the treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, said today that it will be participating in two upcoming investor conferences on September 7 and 8. (Read more...)

August 2, 2011
Volcano Corporation Presentation at Canaccord Genuity Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) said today that it will be participating in the 2011 Canaccord Genuity Growth Conference on Tuesday, August 9. The presentation by Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer, will begin at 11 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time (8 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time). (Read more...)

August 1, 2011
Volcano Reports 22 Percent Increase in Second Quarter Medical Segment Revenues and Earnings per share of $0.09
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) said today that revenues for the second quarter of 2011 increased 14 percent versus the second quarter a year ago in total, including a 22 percent increase in medical segment revenues versus the second quarter a year ago. "During the quarter, we continued to successfully drive our initiatives to achieve market share gains and increase utilization for our core FM (Functional Management) and IVUS (Intravascular Ultrasound) offerings. Year-over-year revenues from the sale of IVUS and FM disposables increased 22 percent and 54 percent, respectively," said Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer of Volcano. (Read more...)

July 20, 2011
FDA Approves New Antiplatelet Drug BRILINTA (Ticagrelor) From AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BRILINTA (ticagrelor) tablets to reduce the rate of heart attack (myocardial infarction [MI]) and cardiovascular (CV) death in adult patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), compared to clopidogrel. (Read more...)

July 18, 2011
Volcano Corporation Schedules Second Quarter Conference Call, Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) today announced that it will report its operating results for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 on Monday, August 1. The company will hold a conference call to discuss its financial results and operating activities open to all interested parties at 2 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (5 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time), Monday, August 1, hosted by Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer, and John Dahldorf, chief financial officer. (Read more...)

July 9, 2011
Are Stents Beings Overused? How Much and Where?
Dr. Paul Chan sat down with me recently to talk about the study published this week in JAMA that he served as lead author on. The article, "Appropriateness of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention" has generated hundreds of news reports about "unnecessary stenting", "overuse of angioplasty", etc. (Read more...)

July 9, 2011
Interview with Dr. Paul Chan
Angioplasty.Org discusses the recent JAMA study on PCI Appropriateness with the lead author of that study, Dr. Paul Chan. In this exclusive interview, Dr. Chan gives background on the study itself, the import of its findings and his concerns over the way the study may be interpreted. (Read more...)

July 6, 2011
A Perspective on the Appropriate Use of Angioplasty and Stents
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: Read our exclusive interview with Dr. Ralph Brindis about the JAMA study on PCI Appropriateness. He states that this study refutes assertions made by the COURAGE trial, and by Dr. Oz! (Read more...)

July 6, 2011
Interview with Dr. Ralph Brindis
Dr. Brindis is Immediate Past President of the ACC and has been at the helm of the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) since its inception in 1997. In this interview, Dr. Brindis shares his thoughts on the major study of PCI appropriateness recently published in JAMA. (Read more...)

June 17, 2011
Volcano Corporation Presentation at Wells Fargo Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) said today that it will be participating in the 2011 Wells Fargo Securities Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, June 22. The presentation by John Dahldorf, chief financial officer, will begin at 9:30 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time (6:30 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time). (Read more...)

June 10, 2011
Volcano Corporation Presentation at William Blair Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) said today that it will be participating in the William Blair & Company 31st Annual Growth Stock Conference on Thursday, June 16. The presentation by Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer, will begin at 8:40 a.m., Central Daylight Time (9:40 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time). (Read more...)

May 28, 2011
Boston Scientific Recalls iCross™ Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) Coronary Imaging Catheters
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced on Friday that it is voluntarily recalling all of its iCross™ Coronary Imaging Catheters due to reports of catheter tip detachments caused by embrittlement of the catheter material. The company reports that the recall affects almost 30,000 units distributed in the United States, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Tobago and the American Virgin Islands. (Read more...)

May 26, 2011
Statement From Volcano Corporation on Latest St. Jude Lawsuit
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) commented on a new lawsuit filed May 24, 2011 by St. Jude Medical in a Delaware court, reprising many of the claims that were recently decided (in Volcano's favor) by a Massachusetts court. Volcano stated that it "denies these unfounded allegations. Volcano firmly believes that this latest lawsuit has no merit, and looks forward to the opportunity to proving so in court." (Read more...)

May 16, 2011
Volcano to Highlight its Precision Guided Therapy Technologies at EuroPCR
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) today announced its participation in the Paris course for Revascularization (EuroPCR) from May 17 - 20. Volcano's focus will be on highlighting the strength of its product portfolio, which includes innovative devices like the Vascular Imaging Balloon Catheter (VIBE® RX), and its sponsorship of a symposium that highlights the use and value of Precision Guided Therapy in clinical practice today. (Read more...)

May 16, 2011
Medtronic Advances Research on Peripheral Devices, Highlights Upcoming Presentations
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced recent milestones in its clinical program for the IN.PACT drug-eluting balloon (DEB) technology. The company also announced upcoming data presentations at the EuroPCR meeting on its peripheral vascular devices -- specifically, the IN.PACT DEB technology for the treatment of atherosclerosis in leg arteries and the Mo.Ma Ultra proximal cerebral protection device for carotid artery stenting. (Read more...)

May 5, 2011
Angioplasty and Stenting from the Wrist: Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention (SCAI) Issues Its First Report on Transradial Access
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention (SCAI) released its first official report on transradial (wrist) access for angioplasty and stenting at its annual meeting, being held in Baltimore, MD this week. Published simultaneously in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the 17-page report covers a wide range of topics, such as patient selection and preparation, artery access, catheter and therapy selection, primary PCI, potential complications and training for intervention cardiologists performing procedures via radial access. (Read more...)

May 5, 2011
After Stent or Angioplasty: Effient (Prasugrel) Bests Plavix (Clopidogrel) for Patients with High Platelet Reactivity
In the current issue of JACC Cardiovascular Interventions, a small study from Greece highlights an ongoing controversy over the optimal antiplatelet therapy for patients after angioplasty or stenting (a.k.a. percutaneous coronary intervention or PCI). The results of this small study were significant: all patients achieved an almost five-fold reduction in platelet reactivity across the board with prasugrel vs. clopidogrel. (Read more...)

May 4, 2011
Volcano Corporation to Supply Intravascular Ultrasound Technology to Covidien for Integration with Plaque Excision Systems
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) today announced the signing of a supply agreement with ev3, a Covidien company, under which Volcano will supply its proprietary Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) technology for use in ev3's Plaque Excision Systems. Utilizing the digital IVUS transducer incorporated in Volcano's market leading EagleEye® catheter product line, this new product will be capable of running on Volcano's global installed base of 5,000 systems. (Read more...)

May 4, 2011
Volcano Achieves 22 Percent Increase in First Quarter Revenues; Sales Growth, Margin Expansion Drive Profitability
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) said today that revenues in the first quarter of 2011 increased 22 percent versus revenues in the first quarter of 2010. For the quarter ended March 31, 2011, Volcano reported revenues of $81.0 million, compared with revenues of $66.6 million in the first quarter a year ago, and gross margin was 65.6 percent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to gross margin of 60.0 percent in the first quarter a year ago. (Read more...)

May 4, 2011
Volcano Corporation Presentation at Bank of America Merrill Lynch Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC), a leading developer and manufacturer of precision intravascular diagnosis and therapy guidance tools designed to enhance the treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, said today that it will be participating in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Health Care Conference on Wednesday, May 11. (Read more...)

May 2, 2011
Italian Society of Invasive Cardiology (GISE) Announces "Best Young Interventional Case Competition"
Clinical cases of particular interest and educational value will be selected by a Scientific Committee and, if accepted, will be presented in the “Best Young Interventional Case Competition” session in the Main Arena during the Opening Ceremony. The six best selected cases will compete and will be voted by experts and the audience who will decide the allocation of the six prizes of 5.000, 4.000, 3.000, 2.000 and 2 of 1.000 euro each. (Read more...)

May 2, 2011
Volcano Corporation Presentation at JMP Securities Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC), a leading developer and manufacturer of precision intravascular diagnosis and therapy guidance tools designed to enhance the treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, said today that it will be participating in the Tenth Annual JMP Securities Research Conference on Tuesday, May 10. (Read more...)

April 29, 2011
Stent By Wrist in Houston
Local ABC affiliate KTRK-TV (Channel 13) in Houston ran a story today on using the wrist to place a stent -- the transradial approach. More stories like this and perhaps the U.S. will catch up with the rest of the world in its use of the radial approach, currently at only 5% in the U.S. and ten times more common in parts of Europe and Asia. (Read more...)

April 29, 2011
St. Jude Medical Sponsored Study Determines FFR Can Improve Health while Reducing Economic Burden to German Healthcare System
St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ), a global medical device company, today announced that an analysis of the benefits to using a Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR)-guided intervention strategy found that the technology can improve patient outcomes while saving millions of Euros. The analysis demonstrates that routine use of FFR could reduce the number of deaths and heart attacks of German citizens while also saving a potential 14,000,000EUR in 2011 and 2012. (Read more...)

April 28, 2011
In Memorium: Bill Cook, Angioplasty Pioneer
Bill Cook, founder of Cook Medical, and for half a century a leading figure in the development of interventional radiology and cardiology, died on April 15 at age 80. Throughout his career he partnered with physician-inventors to create innovative equipment. He manufactured the first angioplasty wires and catheters with Dr. Charles Dotter and the first FDA-approved coronary stent with Cesar Gianturco and Gary Roubin. (Read more...)

April 26, 2011
Wrist Angioplasty in Indiana
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: Dr. Jack Hall, Program Director at St. Vincent's Heart Center in Indianapolis, Indiana will be heading a faculty of transradial experts on Saturday. The "Indianapolis Transradial Summit" has been organized to train and inform cardiologists, cath lab techs and hospital administrators on the benefits for both patient outcomes and comfort, as well as potential cost-savings that are afforded by the use of the wrist as the catheter-access site of choice, when peforming angioplasty, angiography and stent placement. (Read more...)

April 26, 2011
Transradial Angioplasty Training in Indianapolis
This Saturday cardiologists, cath lab managers and hospital administrators will gather in Indianapolis for a day-long workshop in the transradial approach to angioplasty, stents diagnostic angiograms. (Read more...)

April 26, 2011
Interview with Jack J. Hall, MD, FACC
Angioplasty.Org conducts an exclusive interview with Dr. Hall, in which he discusses the evolution of the transradial (wrist) technique and implications for patient care and economic benefit in the U.S. (Read more...)

April 25, 2011
Volcano Corporation Schedules First Quarter Conference Call, Webcast
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC), a leading developer and manufacturer of precision intravascular therapy guidance tools designed to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, today announced that it will report its operating results for the first quarter of fiscal 2011 on Wednesday, May 4. (Read more...)

April 22, 2011
Showdown: Dr. Mark Midei and Stents
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: Dr. Mark Midei of Maryland mounts a defense in tomorrow's Baltimore Sun. His hearing is next Wednesday. Is he guilty of implanting "unecessary stents"? (Read more...)

April 14, 2011
Five Crucial Questions to Ask Your Doctor About New Heart Disease Treatments
25,000 cardiologists met last week in New Orleans to discuss innovations and studies: what does this mean for patients? (Read more...)

April 8, 2011
Transradial Wrist Angioplasty RIVALs Femoral
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: The European cardiologists don't understand all the fuss in the U.S. about wrist vs. groin, radial vs. femoral. They use the wrist artery for angioplasty, stents and catheter access at least half the time (many 80-90% of the time) and they can't understand why, in the United States, it's only used in 5% of cases. (Read more...)

April 8, 2011
Angioplasty and Stenting from the Wrist Safe and Effective: The RIVAL Trial
The first large-scale trial comparing angioplasty performed via the wrist (transradial) with the procedure done from the leg (femoral) was presented at this week's annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. Dubbed "RIVAL" (RadIal Vs. FemorAL Access for Coronary Intervention Study) the trial enrolled 7,021 patients from 158 hospitals in 32 countries. (Read more...)

April 5, 2011
Volcano Announces the Introduction of the PrimeWire PRESTIGE® Pressure Guide Wire in Japan
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) today announced it has received clearance to market the PrimeWire PRESTIGE® pressure guide wire in Japan. In addition to accurately measuring intravascular pressure via Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR), the PrimeWire PRESTIGE® pressure guide wire delivers superior handling with a frontline tip design, enhanced torque and more support. (Read more...)

April 4, 2011
SCAI Statement on "The Rival Trial: A Randomized Comparison of Radial Versus Femoral Access for Coronary Angiography or Intervention in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes"
The RIVAL Trial is the first large North American randomized clinical trial comparing the two options for accessing the heart arteries: radially (via the wrist) or femorally (via the groin, or upper leg). The findings are likely to impact practice in the United States. (Read more...)

April 4, 2011
Toshiba’s Infinix-I Vascular Systems Help Memorial Hermann To Improve Care Through Transradial Intervention
Relying on the Infinix-i vascular labs, the interventional team at Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute – TMC transitioned into performing more radial interventional procedures. The design of Toshiba’s Infinix-i systems with the flexible five-axis C-arm movement facilitates the radial approach with ease, as it allows clinicians to access the patient from either side, move the C-arm seamlessly, and situate the monitors and control panel to meet the needs of the interventional team. (Read more...)

April 4, 2011
Heart Attack Stopped with a Stent
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: As Editor-in-Chief of Angioplasty.Org, I am currently reviewing at least six different articles about studies presented yesterday and today at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans...but this posting from a patient in his hospital bed just came into our Forum, and it puts everything into perspective!! (Read more...)

April 4, 2011
Interview with Alan C. Yeung, MD, FACC
Angioplasty.Org conducts an exclusive interview with Dr. Yeung, one of the principal investigators for the RESOLUTE US trial that was published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). (Read more...)

April 4, 2011
Data from Landmark Clinical Trial of Abbott's MitraClip® System Demonstrate Durable Clinical Benefits for Patients with Mitral Regurgitation Two Years After Treatment
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced data from its EVEREST II (Endovascular Valve Edge-to-Edge REpair STudy) study showing that patients with significant mitral regurgitation (MR) treated with the company's investigational percutaneous catheter-based MitraClip® system continue to demonstrate the clinical benefits of initial treatment shown at one year out to two years, including improvements in heart function and reductions in symptoms. (Read more...)

April 4, 2011
Medtronic Resolute® Drug-Eluting Stent Delivers Compelling Clinical Outcomes In Major Studies
Results of two major clinical studies presented at ACC.11 – the 60th Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) – demonstrate that the Resolute® drug-eluting stent (DES) from Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), provides a positive and persistent treatment effect for a wide variety of patients with coronary artery disease. These new data complete Medtronic’s submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pre-market approval (PMA) of the Resolute DES. The FDA’s decision is expected in the first half of 2012. (Read more...)

April 3, 2011
Pooled Analysis of XIENCE V vs. Taxus Trials Shows Positive Long-Term Data for Abbott Stent
Dr. Dean J. Kereiakes, medical director of The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, presented a pooled analysis of almost 7,000 patients from the SPIRIT II, III, IV and COMPARE clinical trials at this morning's ACC.11 -- the hypothesis of all these trials: "Is the XIENCE V, a second generation drug-eluting stent made by Abbott Vascular, better than Boston's first generation TAXUS Express2 stent or, in the case of the COMPARE trial, the TAXUS Liberte?" The conclusions of these trials for several years now has been: of course. (Read more...)

April 3, 2011
Medtronic's Resolute Stent Equivalent to XIENCE V at Two Years
Presenting the two year data from the RESOLUTE All-Comers Trial at today's late-breaking trial sessions at the American College of Cardiology's 60th Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans, Dr. Patrick W. Serruys and fellow investigators concluded that there was no difference between the safety and efficacy outcomes between Medtronic's Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent and Abbott's XIENCE V everolimus-eluting stent, two new generation drug-eluting stents, at two-year follow-up. (Read more...)

April 3, 2011
Catheter-Based Aortic Valve Replacement Equal to Surgery
The much-anticipated findings from the PARTNER trial, comparing the standard surgical procedure of aortic valve replacement (AVR) to the newer and, as of yet, unapproved in the U.S. transcatheter-based version (TAVR), were presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 60th Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans -- and the two methods of treatment were judged virtually equivalent at one year. (Read more...)

April 2, 2011
Volcano Corporation Announces Presentations at American College of Cardiology 2011
Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ: VOLC) today announced its participation in the 60th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) from April 2nd to April 5th, 2011 in New Orleans. (Read more...)

April 2, 2011
American College of Cardiology 2011 Preview: Stents, Valves and Wrists
New studies on stents, angioplasty and interventional treatments for heart disease will be taking center stage in New Orleans over the next four days, as the American College of Cardiology holds its 60th Annual Scientific Session and Innovation in Intervention: i2 Summit 2011. Attended by almost 30,000 cardiologists and other healthcare professionals, the ACC.11 meeting will be offering a platform for some of the most important findings affecting millions of patients who suffer from coronary and structural heart disease. (Read more...)

March 29, 2011
Will a Heart Stent from the Wrist RIVAL One from the Leg?
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: The RIVAL Study is scheduled for presentation as a late-breaking clinical trial at this year's ACC.11 on Monday morning. RIVAL will compare the transradial and femoral approaches for bleeding complications, death, MI and stroke in ACS patients who are treated with PCI. It's over 7,000 patients strong and will be, in the words of Dr. Sunil V. Rao, "a huge addition to our knowledge base and what the role of radial is in a high-risk patient population." (Read more...)

March 27, 2011
Transradial Cath in Bakersfield
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: I'm always keeping an eye on the growing number of news stories about a "revolutionary new way to open the coronary arteries": the transradial approach, that is, where the radial artery in the wrist is used as the entry point for catheters, angioplasty balloons and stents. This latest TV report was broadcast Friday on KGET-TV, Channel 17 in Bakersfield, California. (Read more...)

March 23, 2011
Smoking After Sex: A Double Heart Attack Risk?
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: We all know that smoking significantly increases the risk of having a heart attack...but sex? Well a study, published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looks at this topic, one that a not insignificant number of readers writing into Angioplasty.Org's Patient Forum are concerned about. (Read more...)

March 22, 2011
Duke Announces Advanced Transradial Angioplasty Training Course
This October, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), will present the "Duke Advanced Course in Transradial Angiography and Intervention", one of the first advanced courses in this new and growing technique to be offered in the United States. (Read more...)

March 15, 2011
Double-Dose Clopidogrel (Plavix) Does Not Reduce Heart Attack or Stent Thrombosis for Angioplasty Patients with High Platelet Reactivity
When does one plus one equal one? In the case of angioplasty or stent patients who are at high risk for adverse events, such as stent thrombosis, a new study concludes that a double dose of clopidogrel (Plavix) "did not reduce the incidence of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis." (Read more...)

March 14, 2011
Wrist Angioplasty Up-Close: New York Style
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: For physicians (and others) who are interested in seeing an advanced PCI case using the transradial or wrist approach, tune in tomorrow morning at 8:00am to this month's Interventional Cardiology Live Case Study Series from Mount Sinai Medical Center on theheart.org. (Read more...)

March 14, 2011
Device Manufacturers Medtronic and Abbott Pledge Millions to Japan Relief Effort
Device manufacturers Medtronic and Abbott today pledged millions in aid to earthquake-tsunami devastated Japan. Both companies have close ties with Japan, as do many other U.S. device and diagnostic companies which, according to the Advanced Medical Technology Association, employ more than 13,000 workers in Japan. (Read more...)

March 14, 2011
Medtronic Pledges $1 Million to Relief Efforts in Japan
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced today that it is pledging a total of $1 million (U.S.) in direct grants, employee matching grants and product donations to support near- and long-term relief efforts in Japan following the March 11 earthquake and resulting tsunami. (Read more...)

March 11, 2011
Transradial Training at ACC.11
If you are an interventional cardiologist, performing angioplasty and placing stents, and are attending this year's annual American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans, you should definitely think about attending the Transradial Hands-On Learning Lab to find out how to perform diagnostic caths and PCIs via the radial artery in the wrist, instead of the standard femoral access site. (Read more...)

March 10, 2011
Volcano Corporation Presentation at Roth Capital Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) said today that it will be participating in the Roth 23rd Annual Orange County Growth Stock Conference on Monday, March 14. (Read more...)

March 9, 2011
Wanted: Marathoners with Stents, Pacemakers, Heart Valves
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) has made its yearly announcement that it is looking for runners from around the world who have benefited from medical technology to participate in the company's 6th Annual Medtronic Global Heroes program. But it's not just a PR event. It is clinically important -- efficacious, as we say in the medical field. (Read more...)

March 8, 2011
Volcano Corp CEO Scott Huennekens to Ring NASDAQ Bell
Tomorrow Volcano Corporation (NASDAQ:VOLC) holds its 2011 Analyst Day at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City and, to start the festivities off, President And Chief Executive Officer Scott Huennekens will ring the NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell. (Read more...)

March 5, 2011
Medtronic Seeking Long-Distance Runners Who Benefit From Medical Technology
Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) has announced that it is recruiting runners from around the world who benefit from medical technology to participate in the sixth annual Medtronic Global Heroes program. Up to 25 runners will be selected to receive a paid entry for themselves and a guest to the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon or the Medtronic TC 10 Mile (September 30 – October 2, 2011) and a travel package that includes airfare for the Global Hero and guest to Minnesota. (Read more...)

March 4, 2011
Volcano Announces the Introduction of the Eagle Eye® Platinum Digital IVUS Catheter at the 20th PCI Live Demonstration Course in Kurashiki
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) announced today that it received clearance to market the Eagle Eye® Platinum digital IVUS catheter in Japan. Full market release of Eagle Eye® Platinum in Japan is expected in the second quarter of 2011. This state-of-the-art catheter offers all of the benefits of the predecessor Eagle Eye® Gold catheter, plus improved deliverability and the convenience of additional radiopaque markers. (Read more...)

March 1, 2011
Volcano Corporation Announces Webcast of March 9th Analyst Day
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) will hold its 2011 Analyst Day on Wednesday, March 9, at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City. The webcast will begin at 10 a.m., Eastern Standard Time (7 a.m., Pacific Standard Time) and conclude at 2 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (11 a.m., Pacific Standard Time). (Read more...)

February 23, 2011
Volcano Reports Record Revenue and GAAP Profitability for 2010
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC), a leading developer and manufacturer of precision intravascular diagnosis and therapy guidance tools designed to enhance the treatment of coronary and peripheral vascular disease, today reported record revenues for the fourth quarter and all of fiscal 2010. (Read more...)

February 18, 2011
Largest Study of Medtronic CoreValve® System Confirms Positive Clinical Outcomes
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today issued a statement on results from an independent study published online in the journal Circulation, which confirmed both early and sustained clinical benefits for patients receiving the Medtronic CoreValve® System for the treatment of aortic valve disease. (Read more...)

February 14, 2011
Laser Wars: Volcano Vindicated on OCT Trade Secret Suit
Last week the Superior Court of Massachusetts entered a Final Judgment in the latest round of "Laser Wars" being waged between Volcano Corporation and St. Jude Medical. Both companies "lasered up" a few years ago...and that has led to their "lawyering up" -- remember "Stent Wars"? So here's what happened.... (Read more...)

February 14, 2011
Volcano Corporation Schedules Fourth Quarter Conference Call, Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) will report its operating results for the fourth quarter and all of fiscal 2010 on Wednesday, February 23. The company will hold a conference call to discuss its financial results and operating activities open to all interested parties at 2 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, (5 p.m., Eastern Standard Time), Wednesday, February 23, hosted by Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer, and John Dahldorf, chief financial officer. (Read more...)

February 13, 2011
LUMEN Course Features Transradial STEMI: Treating a Heart Attack from the Wrist
The treatment of STEMI is the subject of a two-and-a-half-day course being held in Miami, Florida on February 24-26, 2011. New this year is an emphasis on utilizing the transradial angioplasty approach for STEMI, which may be useful because the femoral access site is more prone to bleeding complications and in STEMI patients, who often are given a significant amount of anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs to lessen the blood clot causing the heart attack, bleeding can become a problem. The transradial approach virtually eliminates bleeding complications. (Read more...)

February 13, 2011
Interview with Sameer Mehta, MD, FACC, MBA
Sameer Mehta, MD, FACC, MBA, is a pioneer in STEMI intervention. He has done groundbreaking work on shortening door-to-balloon times for STEMI interventions and is the course director for LUMEN, the Annual Symposium on Optimal Treatment for Acute MI, which this year features workshops on the transradial approach to STEMI intervention. (Read more...)

February 10, 2011
Final Superior Court Ruling on Trade Secret Lawsuit Favors Volcano Corporation and Its Axsun Subsidiary
Scott Huennekens, President and CEO of Volcano stated, "After two-plus years of litigation, we are gratified by the Court's decision. Neither Volcano nor Axsun used any of LightLab's purported trade secrets in Volcano's development of its OCT System, or Axsun's OCT tunable laser. With LightLab's trade secret allegations now behind us, we will continue to focus our energy on developing key products that improve patient care." (Read more...)

February 9, 2011
Drug Eluting Stents Trump Bare Metal Stents for Chronic Total Blockages
After reviewing numerous studies that compared the use of drug-eluting stents (DES) to that of bare metal stents (BMS) in the treatment of chronic total occlusions (CTO) in the coronary arteries, a team of Texas cardiologists has concluded that the use of "DES is associated with significant reductions in angiographic and clinical restenosis with similar safety. The consistency and magnitude of treatment effect across both individual trials and the pooled analysis establish DES as the preferred therapy for percutaneous revascularization of CTOs." (Read more...)

February 8, 2011
Fractional Flow Reserve: A "How-To" Guide for Cardiologists
In the December 1 issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a team, headed by Dr. Bernard De Bruyne of Belgium, published a "how-to" guide on FFR titled, "Practical tips and tricks for the measurement of fractional flow reserve". (Read more...)

January 31, 2011
OCT Wars: St. Jude Versus the Volcano
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: It used to be "Stent Wars", but now we are seeing "OCT Wars", today at least, when a decision from the Massachusetts Superior Court was looked at in two entirely different ways. (Read more...)

January 31, 2011
Massachusetts Court Rules in Favor of Volcano and Against St. Jude Medical Subsidiary in Trade Secrets Case
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) said today that the Superior Court of Massachusetts has issued a decision that ruled in favor of Volcano and its wholly-owned subsidiary Axsun Technologies, Inc., and against LightLab Imaging, Inc., on all of LightLab's remaining claims for trade secret misappropriation. The 11-page decision also rejected LightLab's request for injunctive relief. This ruling follows prior Court rulings, in October 2010 and December 2009, that rejected other LightLab's trade secret misappropriation claims. LightLab Imaging is a wholly-owned subsidiary of St. Jude Medical, Inc. (Read more...)

January 28, 2011
Cath Lab of the Future: Angioplasty, Stents, Robots and More
A new paper, titled "The Catheterization Laboratory and Interventional Vascular Suite of the Future: Anticipating Innovations in Design and Function," appears in the current issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions. It features predictions on the future of these medical spaces, including advances in technology and design as well as changes in function, staffing and economics. (Read more...)

January 26, 2011
FDA Advisory Panel Votes 7-3 to Expand Indications for Carotid Stent
The FDA Circulatory System Devices Panel today voted 7-3 in favor of expanding the indications for carotid artery stenting, specifically for the Abbott Vascular RX Acculink Carotid Stent System. (Read more...)

January 19, 2011
PROSPECT Study Published in NEJM Demonstrates That Volcano's IVUS and VH® IVUS Technologies Can Assess Risk of a Future Clinical Event Better Than Using Angiography Alone
Results from the PROSPECT (Providing Regional Observations to Study Predictors of Events in the Coronary Tree) study, first presented at the TCT meeting in 2009, were published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, with supplemental material that was not part of the original presentation. Results showed that grayscale intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and Volcano's proprietary VH® IVUS tissue characterization software enable physicians to more accurately assess the risk of individual blockages than the use of the current standard-of-care angiographic imaging alone. (Read more...)

January 18, 2011
From Angioplasty and Stents to Aortic Valve Replacement
The method of treating heart disease from the inside-out was first performed by Andreas Gruentzig in 1977. Today the replacement of aortic heart valves is being revolutionized as a direct result of this discovery. (Read more...)

January 18, 2011
Medtronic Revises Design of CoreValve® U.S. Pivotal Trial
In the revised design, the trial will assess the CoreValve System in extreme risk (i.e. inoperable) patients in a single arm study with a primary endpoint of all-cause death or major stroke within 12 months. Furthermore, the revision includes the evaluation of alternate implantation routes for delivering the transcatheter valve, such as the subclavian approach. (Read more...)

January 13, 2011
Medtronic Completes Acquisition of Ardian
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), today announced that it has completed the acquisition of privately-held Ardian, Inc., a developer of catheter-based therapies to treat hypertension and related conditions. Under the terms of the agreement announced on Nov. 22, 2010, the purchase price is $800 million in cash up front, plus additional cash payments equal to annual revenue growth through the end of Medtronic’s fiscal year 2015. (Read more...)

January 10, 2011
Abbott Receives CE Mark Approval for World's First Drug Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold for Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease
Abbott announced today that it has received CE Mark approval for the world's first drug eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Abbott's BVS device restores blood flow by opening a clogged vessel and providing support to the vessel until the device dissolves within approximately two years, leaving patients with a treated vessel free of a permanent metallic implant. Abbott's BVS device will be commercialized under the brand name ABSORB™. (Read more...)

January 10, 2011
Volcano Corporation Announces Preliminary Record Revenues for Fourth Quarter 2010 and Full Year 2010
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) said today that it expects total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2010 will be approximately $81.0 million, bringing expected full year 2010 revenues to approximately $294.0 million. The company's revenue expectations for fiscal 2010 compare with prior guidance for revenues of $286.0-$290.0 million and reflect year-over-year revenue growth of approximately 29 percent. (Read more...)

January 6, 2011
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Stent Graft Athlete
Kevin Morgan had a 7cm abdominal aortic aneurysm and was treated with a stent graft. Kevin is an IronMan athlete and he writes that he feels "so lucky to be alive" and he wants to find other AAA stent graft athletes to create a community on his blog. So to help him we opened a new topic on our Forum. (Read more...)

January 6, 2011
Philadelphia Transradial Intervention Program: Take a TRIP
Just a reminder to you interventional cardiologists, cath lab nurses and technologists who are interested in learning how to do angiograms, angioplasty and stents from the wrist -- next Saturday, January 15, is SCAI's second transradial program, being held in Philadelphia with an "all-star" faculty of transradial experts. (Read more...)

January 4, 2011
Angioplasty and Stent Use Cut in Half -- Sort of...
Commentary from the Editor's Blog: A lost story this past couple of weeks has been an "admission" by the American Heart Association that the number of angioplasties performed in the United States is actually half of what the AHA has been saying all these years. (Read more...)

January 4, 2011
Volcano Corporation Presentation at J.P. Morgan Conference to be Webcast
Volcano Corporation (Nasdaq: VOLC) said today that it will be participating in the 29th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, January 11. The presentation by Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer, will begin at 9 a.m., Pacific Standard Time (12 p.m., Eastern Standard Time). (Read more...)