Western Connecticut Health Network (WCHN) cardiothoracic surgeons Cary Passik, M.D., and Robert Gallagher, M.D., were the first in Connecticut to implant the Edwards Intuity Elite sutureless aortic valve in two patients at Danbury Hospital. This new technology in aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery presents a safe and effective option for patients with severe aortic valve disease. The valves were implanted using the Edwards Intuity valve system, a rapid deployment device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2016.

Mercator MedSystems announced that the national co-principal investigators of the company’s DANCE trial each presented comprehensive 13-month trial data during Late-Breaking sessions at ISET (International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy) in Hollywood, Fla., and LINC (Leipzig Interventional Course) in Leipzig, Germany.

Doctors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have implemented the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved patent foramen ovale occluder in Alabama.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom recently issued guidance for use of the HeartFlow FFRct (fractional flow reserve computed tomography) Analysis to help determine the cause of stable chest pain in patients. Developed by HeartFlow Inc., the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is the first non-invasive technology to provide insight into both the extent of coronary artery disease and the impact that disease has on blood flow to the heart, enabling clinicians to select an appropriate treatment.