The new imaging modality of positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was introduced to the U.S. market in June. The Siemens Biograph mMR (molecular MR) gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance as the first dedicated PET/MRI system. It is the only system to combine both modalities into one machine, allowing simultaneous imaging of location, function and metabolic activity of organs in a single image.
With a growing problem of overcrowded emergency departments, coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) may be a solution to address the management of chest pain patients. CCTA is increasingly recognized as an accurate, noninvasive tool to safely assess coronary artery disease. Advocates for the modality say it leads to earlier identification and management of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), rapid early discharge, improved flow of overcrowded emergency departments and reduced costs.
Indiana University (IU) Health La Porte Hospital in La Porte, Ind., made the decision to build an advanced EP procedure lab right in the community with holding areas, ancillary workspaces, office space and a clinical area. The vision was for the lab to encompass all aspects of arrhythmia care, beginning at the procedure area and finishing with the outpatient clinic. It also was extremely important that the space was efficient, cost-effective and flexible.
Providing exceptional cardiovascular care for patients to achieve the best possible outcomes is the number one goal for ...
A review of recent transradial clinical study data.
Staff education is a vital component for the successful transition to a predominantly transradial cardiac catheterization program. Educational efforts must extend beyond the cath lab. A successful program incorporates staff from the pre- and post-procedure units, telemetry unit, intensive care unit (ICU) and any other unit that routinely cares for cardiac catheterization patients.
There have been several key news items from the U.S. stent market over the past year. These include the introduction of several new stents, Cordis pulling out of the market, an expanded indication in carotid stenting and development of new stent technology that will likely open a new chapter for percutaneous interventions.
Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) is growing in popularity among cardiologists because it provides the ability ...
Houston Northwest Medical Center's cardiology department, along with physicians and IT staff, looked at multiple information systems related to cardiology before choosing Horizon Cardiology from McKesson in 2007. The system stood out for several reasons.
Today’s generation of cath lab hemodynamic recording systems do much more than simply measure and monitor a patient’s electrocardiogram, blood pressure and other vital signs. Current systems offer detailed clinical reporting and auto-completion of data fields in the procedure report, help gather registry data, aid in tracking inventory and patient billing, and link images and cine loops to reports.
September 22, 2011 — Stentys S.A., a medical technology company commercializing a self-apposing stent to treat acute myocardial infarction (AMI), announced it has enrolled the 500-patient target of the international APPOSITION III study for its Self-Apposing Stent.
When performing radiofrequency (RF) ablation to treat cardiac arrhythmia, medical professionals must balance the safety ...
September 22, 2011 — The 15th annual scientific meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) will feature a session titled "Cancer Chemotherapy and Cardiotoxicity" moderated by Daniel J. Lenihan, M.D., professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University. It will focus on the effect of cancer drugs on the presence of heart failure and how oncologists and cardiologists have developed close collaboration in order to benefit patients.
September 22, 2011 — Half the people who have atrial fibrillation deny or don’t know they have a higher risk for stroke, according to a new American Heart Association survey.
I repeatedly hear two competing, contradictory themes discussed at every symposia – the need to lower healthcare costs and that costs to bring new technology to market are rapidly increasing. The U.S. leadership position as a medical technological innovator is slipping to Europe, where there is a much wider selection of devices to choose from. The requirements to gain CE mark clearance are much more lenient than U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pre-market approval.
Change Healthcare Cardiology Hemodynamics is an integrated hemodynamic monitoring system for monitoring vital signs and ...
New developments in drug-eluting stents, such as biodegradable materials and bifurcated stents, are expected to prompt an increase in market value. Companies like Biosensors and Abbott are developing biodegradable and bifurcated stents to deal with concerns about thrombosis caused by long-term device implantation and to expand the type of treatable lesions, including those located at vessel branches.
The space needed and costs involved to create a hybrid operating room (OR) for a specific speciality may not be feasible, especially at mid-sized hospitals. This was the case at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Conn., where the facility wanted to increase procedural volume, but needed to upgrade its small operating rooms for vascular, endovascular, laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures.
One of the biggest trends is the creation of hybrid operating rooms (ORs) that bring together the best of both surgical and interventional technologies. They are centered around a high-quality angiographic X-ray imaging system, allowing new collaborative treatment strategies and new types of procedures. Users say the shift to hybrid ORs is more than a change of venue for procedures, it is a paradigm shift in medicine.