Monthly Archives: June 2013

Past, Present & Future of Transradial Angioplasty with Dr. Ferdinand Kiemeneij

Dr. Ferdinand KiemeneijOn the occasion of the 20th anniversary of transradial intervention (TRI), I talked with Dr. Ferdinand Kiemeneij, “the father of transradial intervention” who practices interventional cardiology at Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis (OLVG), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

We covered a wide range of topics regarding TRI, where angioplasty and stents are placed via the wrist, and we’ve just posted the two-part interview on Angioplasty.Org. Continue reading

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Filed under Cost Effectiveness, Global Trends, History, Innovators, Interviews, Japan, Patient Experience, Stent, Transradial Approach

Training is Key to Adoption of Transradial Wrist Approach to PCI

J. Dawn Abbott, MD

J. Dawn Abbott, MD

An Editor’s perspective piece about the transradial (wrist) approach to angioplasty and stents appears in the current issue of “Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.”

Penned by Associate Editor J. Dawn Abbott, MD, the article, titled “Diffusion of Innovations and Adoption of Transradial Intervention,” explores why it has taken so long (and continues to) for the transradial approach to be adopted widely in the U.S., given that the evidence from clinical trials has been clear, and that the economic and patient comfort benefits are evident. Continue reading

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Filed under Global Trends, Innovators, Transradial Approach

Meta-Analysis Shows Benefit of Drug-Eluting Stents vs BMS Below the Knee

Frank J. Criado, MD

Frank J. Criado, MD

Guest Post by Frank J. Criado, MD, FACS, FSVM, editor in chief of Vascular Disease Management.

(Editor’s note: this article is the first in a series of guest posts, a new collaboration between Angioplasty.Org and Vascular Disease Management.)

In the introductory remarks of “Meta-Analysis of Outcomes of Endovascular Treatment of Infrapopliteal Occlusive Disease With Drug-Eluting Stents,” lead author George A. Antoniou and his colleagues, from the Manchester Royal Infirmary in the UK, state that:

“Emerging evidence suggests that the combination of stenting and targeted delivery of drugs with antiproliferative properties, aiming to inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation and intimal hyperplasia, improves the outcomes of endoluminal treatments of distal vessel disease. A small number of series have demonstrated satisfactory performance of drug-eluting stents, as expressed by increased patency and freedom from revascularisation to maintain good clinical results. Controversy exists, however, with regard to the superiority of drug-eluting stents over bare metal stents in terms of the clinical benefit in critical limb ischaemia patients.” Continue reading

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Filed under Bare Metal Stents, Drug-Eluting Stents, Guest Post, Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), Stent

USA Today Claims Stents and Angioplasty “Often Unnecessary”

Coronary StentYesterday’s edition of USA Today carried an article by Peter Eisler titled, “Six common surgeries often done unnecessarily” — and, you guessed it, angioplasty and stents were at the top of the list of “six common surgeries that carry significant risks of being done without medical necessity, according to federal data and independent studies.”

I was a bit taken aback because I was not aware of any new study, federal or independent, that concluded stents were being vastly over-used. And it turns out that there wasn’t one. Continue reading

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Filed under Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC), Clinical Trials / Studies, COURAGE, FAME I / FAME II, Heart Attack, Media Coverage, Shared Decision-Making, Stent

Become Part of the Transradial Angioplasty Surge

Growth of Radial PCI in U.S.

Growth of radial access in U.S. since 2007, estimated to be 20% by end of 2013 (click for larger image)

This graphic shows the adoption curve for the transradial wrist approach to percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in the United States from 2007-2012. From 1.2% to 16.1% in just five years. And we estimate that by the end of 2013, TRI will account for 20% of all PCIs. That’s one in five. Pretty impressive. When was the last time a medical procedure that is less expensive, more comfortable for patients and has fewer complications, grew this quickly?

You can read more in our article, “Wrist Angioplasty Sees Unprecedented Growth in U.S.,” which reports on an important study which was published in this week’s Circulation.

Or you can do something about it and become part of this revolution by getting into the training loop. Continue reading

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Filed under Cost Effectiveness, Meetings & Conferences, Patient Experience, Transradial Approach