Category Archives: Meetings & Conferences

June 14, 2013 · 12:06 pm

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

April 28, 2013 · 6:29 pm

Dr. Ajay Kirtane Named Co-Director of TCT 25

Dr. Ajay J. Kirtane

Dr. Ajay J. Kirtane

The TCT (Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics) annual meeting is, according to its organizers, the world’s largest and most important conference in interventional cardiovascular medicine. And this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the TCT (note: the entire field of interventional cardiology is only 36 years of age).

This year also marks Dr. Ajay Kirtane’s role as an official Co-Director of the TCT, in recognition of his contributions and dedication to the meeting. Continue reading →

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Filed under Meetings & Conferences, Transradial Approach

March 20, 2013 · 7:13 pm

FDA Panel Decision on Mitraclip Approval: It’s Safe and “Sort of” Effective

MitraClip, manufactured by Abbott Vascular

MitraClip, manufactured by Abbott Vascular

Today’s Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee heard testimony from Abbott Vascular, surgeons, cardiologists and patients.

The indications for the MitraClip Clip Delivery System that were being discussed were “the percutaneous reduction of significant symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR=3+) in patients who have been determined by a cardiac surgeon to be too high risk for open mitral valve surgery and in whom existing co-morbidities would not preclude the expected benefit from correction of the mitral regurgitation.”

In the end, the panel voted on three questions which relate to the approvability of the device, and the envelope goes to…well here are the votes: Continue reading →

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Filed under Clinical Trials / Studies, FDA, Meetings & Conferences, Patient Empowerment, Patients

February 28, 2013 · 8:34 pm

Transradial on the Hudson

Hudson River separates New York and New JerseyFor interventional cardiologists in the Northeast, the next few months offer two important transradial training opportunities…on both sides of the Hudson River.

First off, on April 20, the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute in Morristown, New Jersey has organized the Mid-Atlantic Radial Symposium 2013 (MARS2013), a follow-up to their successful premiere course last year. Continue reading →

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Filed under Meetings & Conferences, Transradial Approach

January 23, 2013 · 7:15 pm

Back to the Future: Drug-Eluting Angioplasty Balloons, Dissolving Stents, FFR and More

Back to the FutureI added a new category “tag” to the stent blog today: “Back to the Future.” And I hereby declare this to be an internet meme, even if it’s only a meme on this site!

I added this category because every TCT or ACC or AHA or ISET or ESC or EuroPCR meeting that I cover, I am struck by the fact that the newest, latest, greatest innovations are all ideas that were present at the genesis of this field of interventional cardiology. Continue reading →

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Filed under Back to the Future, Drug-Eluting Stents, FFR, History, Meetings & Conferences, Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), Video

January 14, 2013 · 5:38 pm

Transradial Training in the Northwest

Seattle at Dusk

Photo by Daniel Schwen

Swedish Medical Center and the Seattle Science Foundation are teaming up once again to provide training in the transradial (or wrist) approach for interventional cardiologists.

Titled “The Transradial Approach: A Case-based and Hands-on Training Course,” this two-day course runs from March 1-2, 2013.  The faculty consists of cardiology chief Dr. Peter J. Casterella and the staff at Swedish Medical Center, along with Dr. Sunil V. Rao from Duke. Continue reading →

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Filed under Meetings & Conferences, Transradial Approach

January 8, 2013 · 2:55 pm

A New Year’s Non-Resolution for Angioplasty and Stent Patients…and more

Check out the first post of 2013 on our new blog. “The Activated Patient.” It’s titled “Singing On The Table: Be Activated in 2013 with a Non-Resolution” and it’s all about what it means to be “activated” — not just for heart patients, but for the rest of us as well.

As we’ve written in the past couple of months, this whole area of patient empowerment is becoming increasingly important as the issues of shared decision-making, patient preference and patient-centered therapy have been highlighted in recently published guidelines from all the major heart organizations.

As for what “singing on the table” means, you’ll just have to read the post….

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Filed under Meetings & Conferences, Patient Empowerment, Patient Experience, Patients, Shared Decision-Making